The Thrikkakara Residents’ Association Apex Council (TRAAC) is all set to embark on an ambitious organic backyard farming initiative aimed at making nearly 10,000 households spread over 105 residents’ associations in ten zones self-reliant in vegetable production in the long run.
The idea is for three to five residents’ associations to join hands to set up multiple Haritha Sanghams under the Agriculture Department’s Haritha Keralam initiative so that pesticide-free vegetables are produced for household consumption.
As a first step, five residents’ associations in Thuthiyoor zone of TRAAC are in the process of registering a society by the name Thuthiyoor Haritha Sangham, for which by-laws have already been drafted. “Thuthiyoor was selected since there were many vacant plots here, which could be used for farming. The rolling fund of ₹50,000 to be allocated by the Agriculture Department would be helpful in buying growbags or seeds to get the project off the ground,” said P. Sreedevi, who is closely associated with the initiative.
Nearly 80 members, including those who were already into vegetable farming and those interested in the initiative, have been identified for the project. “We perceive the project as part of our long cherished goal of securing 100% health literacy and will be expanded to all residents’ associations within our limits in due course,” said M.S. Anilkumar, president, TRAAC.
TRAAC had in the past implemented a backyard farming initiative in association with the Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation (Horticorp). That was only partially successful owing to two reasons – not all the growbags supplied were of good quality and there were no avenues to market the excess vegetables produced.
“Learning from that experience, we are planning to make arrangements for marketing the excess produce locally along the lines of a market organised in the municipal limits every weekends by a successful Facebook initiative,” said Mr. Anilkumar.
He said that unlike in the past the government was very encouraging as reflected in the financial and technical assistance being offered by the Agriculture Department. Ultimately, the objective is to generate clean vegetables for our own consumption in the long run, Mr. Anilkumar said.
