Moodbidri: 'Krishi Pandit' Awardee Mantrady Peter Miranda No More

Daijiworld Media Network – Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Feb 21: Peter Miranda (64) from Mantrady, who rose to fame after turning a 40-acre barren hillock into fertile agricultural field through sheer hard work and ingenuity, breathed his last at his home in Mantrady village on Sunday February 19.

Miranda, who had in-depth knowledge in agriculture, had conducted a number of successful experiments in farming. He is survived by wife and a son.

Miranda had several success stories to his credit. He had undertaken organic farming and apiculture. He had introduced cocoa, cloves, nutmeg etc as mixed crops along with areca nut and coconut crops in block system. He has tasted tremendous success in integrated farming methods, and had shown to the others for the first time that prawn culture can be undertaken in fresh water natural tank, by undertaking this experiment in his field.

Miranda also had found his own way to raise pigeons, fowls, and undertaking pisciculture. He had found intelligent methods to catch hold of coconuts plucked and thrown down from the trees in gunny bags, and had trained women in climbing coconut trees. Because of the special taste of coccinia and tender coconuts grown in his plantation, he was widely known as ‘Manoli Miranda’ and ‘Bonda Miranda’. The people also affectionately addressed him as ‘Colonel Miranda’ because of his shrewdness in business matters.

Miranda had bagged many awards including ‘Best Youth Farmer’ award of Syndicate Bank in 1985, ‘Rachana Award’ which he received from the hands of former defence minister, George Fernandes, and ‘Krishi Pandit’ award for the year 2003, which was conferred on him by the then Karnataka Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy. He used to organize farming-related programmes, and participated in them as resource person, as he had firsthand experience in almost all the realms of farming.

Miranda’s funeral will take place at Naravi church on Tuesday February 21.