Minister of State for Public Distribution K.V. Thomas has called for creation of facilities to market organic produces. Inaugurating Organic Kerala-2012, an organic fair, at Town hall here on Sunday, he said a meeting of stakeholders would be convened next month to explore the possibilities of utilising the marketing infrastructure at the EEC market at Maradu for sale of organic produces.
The Minister urged farmers to make use of the schemes offered by the Horticulture department. He underlined the need for adopting measures to enhance agricultural production. Kerala being a consumerist State, vegetables, fruits, milk and various other food produces are brought from neighbouring States. Many of such produces are said to contain pesticide content beyond permissible limits. Organic farming would be the ideal way to counter the distribution of unhealthy food products arriving in the market from various sources.
P.Rajeev, MP; Hibi Eden, MLA; Tony Chammany, Mayor; M.K. Prasad, chairman of the organising committee; J. Prasanth, Principal, Sacred Heart College, Thevara; M.M. Abbas, general convenor of the organising committee, and others spoke.
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A host of organic agricultural produce and plants have been exhibited at the organic fair. These include mangoes, jack fruit and ‘pokkali' paddy. Various kinds of tubers on display include ‘cheru kizhangu', ‘koovakkizhangu', ‘nanakizhangu', ‘thavalakkizhangu' and ‘naadan kaachil'. Vermi compost units and portable bio-gas plants are also exhibited. Coconut Development Board and a few other public sector agencies have also set up stalls.
The fair is being organised by Organic Kerala Charitable trust, Rajagiri Outreach and SH College, Thevara. A seminar on various topics such as food security, bio-diversity, water conservation and fisheries will be organised at Ashir bhavan on May 1 and at SH college on May 2, in association with the fair.