The Agriculture department’s Poshaka Samriddhi Mission will help Kerala attain self-sufficiency in vegetable production, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad has said.
Speaking at the State-level inauguration of farmers’ markets for Onam, an initiative of the Agriculture department, at a function here on Thursday, Mr. Prasad said the State would attain self-sufficiency in vegetable production by 2026.
The government launched the Poshaka Samriddhi Mission last week to increase the production of vegetables and millet in the State. The Minister said the mission would ensure vegetable cultivation in 25 lakh households.
He said the Kerala Agro Business Company (KABCO) had been set up to promote the marketing of agricultural products. “Some 205 agricultural products under the ‘Keralagro’ brand have been made available on e-commerce platforms. The KABCO will turn out to be a boon for farmers,” Mr. Prasad said.
The department is organising 2,000 Onam markets in association with the Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation (Horticorp), and Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council, Keralam (VFPCK), as part of market intervention efforts during the festival. The markets will function from August 25 to 28. As many as 1,076 markets will be run by respective Krishi Bhavans. Besides, Horticorp will open 764 markets and VFPCK 160.
Higher price to ryots
Locally grown vegetables will be procured from farmers at 10% higher price than the market rate. It will be made available to customers at 30% discount. Good Agricultural Practices-certified products procured from farmers at 20% higher price will be sold at 10% discount at these markets.
P.P. Chitharanjan, MLA, presided. A.M. Ariff, MP; District Collector Haritha V. Kumar; and others attended.
