Minister for Agriculture K. P. Mohanan said here on Sunday that diversification of farming activities was imperative to sustain agriculture.
Speaking after inaugurating the Kerala Agricultural University ( KAU ) Kole land productivity research centre at Muriyad, the Minister said the practice of cultivating a single crop in an area should be changed to multi cropping patterns so that self-sufficiency can be achieved at all localities.
The kole land productivity research centre would be a forum for farmer participatory research.
Support and involvement of farmers and local self-government institutions was essential for success of such ventures, he said. The expertise of KAU scientists would be definitely helpful in improving kole land farming here, he said.
The Minister said the organic farming model projected by Kerala was much appreciated and keenly followed by the Union government as well as neighbouring States.
Organic farming
While Tamil Nadu had convened a discussion in this regard on August 8, the Union government was thinking in terms of an organic India campaign.
All have agreed to our thinking that regaining soil fertility through organic farming was the best step forward, Mr. Mohanan said.
Government Chief Whip Thomas Unniyadan, MLA, presided over the function. Thrissur MP C.N . Jayadevan , KAU Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran and others participated.
