The paddy production in the Central Travancore district of Pathanamthitta that houses a major part of the Upper Kuttanad region has registered an increase of 13,683 tonne during the past four years, according an official statement issued by the Agriculture department here on Monday.
The department has also successfully launched paddy cultivation in a total of 2310 ha of land that has been lying fallow for years together, besides introducing paddy cultivation in 10 ha of plain land, over the past four years.
Government had spent a total of Rs 16.69 crore in the agriculture sector alone during the period.
Inclusion of the district as a whole under the purview of paddy procurement and sanctioning of seven giant paddy warehouses in the Upper Kuttanad region were the other major major achievements in the paddy sector during the past four years, the statement said.
A total of Rs 45.14 lakhs has been utilised for basic infrastructure development in the field of paddy farming us year alone, besides Rs 1.46 crore for improving irrigation facility in different parts of the district.
Pension has been sanctioned to as many as 276 paddy farmers under Kisan Abhiyan scheme.
Rs 3.71 cr for coconut sector
The official statement said that a total of Rs 3.71 crore has been spent on coconut farming in the district in the past four years.
The `Kerasree’ project has been successfully implemented in a total area of 2050 ha, besides spending Rs 62.5 lakhs on coconut farming in Upper Kuttanad as part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
Vegetable production
Vegetable cultivation has been extended to 290 ha of land to enhance the production by 3480 tonne in the past four years.
Agriculture department has set up vegetable farms with active involvement of students in 96 schools.
Cultivation of cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, beans, etc, has yielded good results in the high altitude reaches of Gavi in the eastern hilly tracts of the district, the statement said.
