The government has unveiled an ambitious programme to enhance crop diversity, revive ethnic varieties and promote traditional and environment- friendly methods of farming, under plans to ensure food safety and reduce the State’s dependence on imports.
The programme involves steps to revive local varieties of paddy, millets and pulses that were part of the traditional dietary habits in Kerala.
The Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam had been asked to ensure the supply of planting material, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar told a press conference here on Wednesday. Eco-friendly methods like the use of friendly pests and soil micro organisms would be promoted among farmers as good agricultural practices, he said.
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The Minister said a project would be taken up to map each district for its crop potential. Farmers would be encouraged to take up cultivation of crops based on market demand. “We have noticed that farmers in the border areas of Tamil Nadu have access to precise data on the market demand in Kerala. Their crop calendar is planned on the basis of this information.”
Mr.Kumar said the Agriculture Department and Kerala Agricultural University would take up a market study to assess the demand in each district. The data generated by the study would be used for crop selection and cultivation.
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The Minister said a revolving fund would be created for procurement from domestic farmers on spot payment. He added that efforts were on to create a cold chain for preservation of perishable items like vegetables and fruits. The existing freezers would be repaired and new ones established.
Agriculture Secretary Raju Narayana Swamy, Kerala Agricultural University Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran and Horticorp MD Ranjan S. Karippai were present.