Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has underscored the need to take the fruits of agriculture-related research works to cultivators for the all-round growth of the farm sector.
“Agriculture plays a crucial role in the State’s economy,” he said inaugurating various upgraded facilities at the College of Agriculture, under the Kerala Agricultural University, at Padannakkad, near Neeleswaram, here on Thursday.
The facilities include a guest house, trainees’ hostel, second phase of postgraduate block, microbiology laboratory, and a pesticide residue laboratory.
“Kerala is facing acute food grain supply crisis and society at large should think of enhancing paddy production,” he said.
Mr. Vijayan asked youngsters to employ their novel ideas to make the farm sector viable. He sought support from the farm sector for the Haritha Keralam project launched by the Left Democratic Front government to conserve soil and water resources.
Funds allotted
The government had set aside ₹3.30 crore to promote traditional crop varieties and another ₹21 crore for developing high-yield seed varieties, he said. Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan and Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar took part. P. Karunakaran, MP, inaugurated a seminar on organic farming. Kanhangad municipal chairman V.V. Rameshan, Neeleswaram municipal chairman K.P. Jayarajan and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) council member A. Anil Kumar were present.
