Minister for Fisheries J. Mercykutty Amma entered the waterlogged Idavattam paddy fields coming under the Perinad grama panchayat on Tuesday morning and transplanted a bunch of paddy seedlings to inaugurate an ambitious paddy cultivation project of the Rotary District 3211 in association with the Perinad grama panchayat and the Agricultural Department.
“When it comes to food, our State is facing serious challenges because we are almost completely dependent upon our neighbouring State for rice, vegetables and meat,” the Minister says, addressing the gathering. That is because our State is badly lagging behind in the field of agriculture, she says.
REAP
The paddy cultivation project the Minister inaugurated is named REAP (Rotary Empowerment of Agricultural Production) and is being implemented in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alapuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam. Paddy cultivation is being done on paddy fields that were lying unused.
In the Perinad panchayat, the cultivation is being done on the Idavattam and Kuzhiyam paddy fields comprising 20 acres. Shaji Vishwanath, Rotary assistant governor, says the aim of REAP, a long-term project, is to bring all paddy fields lying unused in the five southern districts of the State under paddy cultivation.
Ms. Mercykutty congratulated the Rotarians for the initiative. Members of the various Rotary clubs also gave a hand in the paddy seedlings transplantation. The function was presided over by the Rotary district governor Suresh Mathew Nilamel.
