The Agriculture Department will make elaborate arrangements for procurement, distribution, and marketing of agricultural produce as part of its 100 days' programme.
Announcing the programmes here on Thursday, Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Printing, and Stationery K.P. Mohan said that a major scheme would be undertaken for direct procurement of produce from farmers through the wholesale markets at Vengeri, Sultan Bathery, Marad, Muvattupuzha, and Nedumangad. A special programme, ‘Onakkazhcha,' would be organised in collaboration with various agencies to ensure availability of adequate quantities of vegetables during Onam.
The Minister said organic farming would be introduced in phases in Kasaragod district, which had been hit by the aerial spraying of endosulfan. The Plantation Corporation of Kerala would go for organic cultivation of cashew on 94 hectares of land. Assistance would be provided for taking up organic farming on 750 hectares in various parts of the State through the Horticulture Mission. Precision farming, introduced at Perumatty in Palakkad district, would be extended to other districts.
Mr. Mohan said that emphasis would be given to the comprehensive development of Idukki and Kuttanad. Cultivation of medicinal plants would be taken up on 500 hectares. A sum of Rs.12 crore would be spent on promoting vegetable cultivation in the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram.
The Soil Survey Department would distribute soil health cards to Kole farmers in Thrissur district and in Morayur and Vazhayur panchayats in Malappuram district. A website would be launched to provide scientific information to farmers on soil. Soil conservation measures estimated at Rs.17 crore would be taken up.
The Animal Husbandry Department would undertake Rs.10-crore integrated cattle development programmes, besides programmes for poultry development. Vaccination of goats against hemorrhagic septicaemia, black quarter, and plague would be started across the State by August 15.
He said that a new multi-colour offset printing machine would be installed at the Government Press within the next 100 days. The paper-testing laboratory in the Printing and Stationery Department would be modernised.
