Kitchen gardens in 500 schools

The once-common kitchen gardens might be on their way back with the Department of Horticulture initiating steps to promote them in 500 schools.

Free kits, comprising seedlings and seeds of vegetables, have been distributed to 100 schools each in Mangaluru, Puttur and Belthangady taluks. Similarly, they would be handed over to schools in Bantwal and Sullia taluks shortly, said Yogesh H R, Deputy Director, Department of Horticulture, Dakshina Kannada. Each kit has two varieties of tissue-cultured banana, Naendra and G-9, two seedlings of drumstick, two seedlings of papaya, a seedling of coconut and seeds of about 10 vegetables.

One-day training

He said the department provided one-day training on raising the kitchen garden to the head masters of the schools.

The Deputy Director said the schools could make use of vegetables grown for mid-day meal or could give it to students. The initiative was to promote interest in farming, greenery, plants among students from school days. Schools could make use of bio-waste as manure for growing vegetables.

Mr. Yogesh said schools have been chosen irrespective of whether they are government schools or government-aided private schools. The interest of the schools mattered in distributing the kits. It was because the kits should not go waste. Hence only schools which have shown interest have been considered for giving kits. Now schools would have to make use of them.