Organic cultivation is in full bloom in Ernakulam district with various agencies and cooperatives gearing up to produce adequate quantity of organic vegetables for the Onam season.
A district-level seedling planting drive would be held at Thammanam on June 22, CPI (M) district secretary P. Rajeev said here on Saturday.
The goal, he said, would be to set up at least 164 stalls selling a wide variety of organic farm produce across the district on the first two days of Onam. The party has taken the lead in distributing nearly 2.5 lakh saplings and 500 kg of vegetable seeds through cooperatives, the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam and other agencies. Over a lakh grow bags have also been given through cooperatives headed by CPI(M) representatives. “The produce from this will be about 650 tonnes,” he said.
Self-help groups have been formed under farmers’ collectives to facilitate farmers, also co-opting traditional farmers, to grow organic vegetables. The cooperative at Palliyakkal has begun cultivation in 40 acres of land and the effort is to bring at least six acres under organic cultivation under each local committee.
