The enthusiastic response towards vegetable farming at homes under the Vadakkekara panchayat in this lockdown period has encouraged Chendamangalam and Mulanthuruthy local bodies to follow suit.
Over 6,800 households in Vadakkekara have joined the initiative as on Friday after the panchayat authorities launched the vegetable farming drive eight days ago. Vegetable saplings were planted at the front yards and terraces of hundreds of homes as part of encouraging people to grow vegetables on their premises and make valuable use of the lockdown period.
“Chendamangalam and Mulanthuruthy grama panchayats have also joined the novel project. About 14,000 seedlings were distributed to families in Mulanthuruthy on Friday,” said Sujith Karun, district coordinator of Haritha Keralam Mission, which is partnering with local bodies, Kudumbashree, the Agricultural Department and other agencies for implementing the project.
Vegetable farming at a household in Vadakkekara panchayat in Ernakulam district.
Members of self-help groups under the Kudumbashree are actively taking part in the first phase of the programme. They are involving family members too in planting saplings while urging them to utilise the long hours available during the lockdown.
Officials of the Agriculture Department said that organic manure, pesticide, and growbags had been distributed to beneficiaries through the departments’ eco shops. “We are also encouraging families to grow microgreens in their kitchen gardens. Microgreens are easy to grow and have high nutritional value. Some of the popular microgreens include wheatgrass, sunflower shoots, and pea shoots,” they said.
Manoj Kumar IB of Edavanakkad, who is active in creating fruit forests, said that people should start growing vegetables in their front yards and open spaces as its high time they stopped depending on neighbouring States for vegetables. “We can undertake a vegetable challenge to attain self-sufficiency in vegetable production. This should be a long-term project and not end abruptly after the lockdown is over,” he added.
WhatsApp groups involving greens in the district and outside have given a call for spreading the message of kitchen gardens and vegetable farming in households. Members of such a group were found planting at least one vegetable sapling every three days.
