The Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) has launched sale of ‘fruit kits’ in the capital city through online platforms.
The initiative is meant to help people who are confined to their homes during the lockdown and farmers who are unable to find a market for their produce. On Monday, the VFPCK launched the online sale of three-kg kits containing three banana varieties — nendran, kappa (red) and Palayamkodan/Robusta — via online platforms AM Needs, Big Cart and KooHoi.
The banana kits are priced at ₹125 each. Four-kg pineapple kits also are priced at ₹125.
The public could dial 8921731931 and 9496002881 for the kits. “We will add mango to the list this week. We also have plans to launch similar services offering fruits and vegetables in Kochi, Thrissur and Kozhikode in the coming days,” VFPCK chief executive officer A.K. Sherief said. The Thiruvananthapuram district office of the VFPCK has tied up with online delivery firms for the initiative.
Given the lockdown scenario, the Agriculture Department has tasked the VFPCK and the Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation (Horticorp) with ensuring the supply of vegetables and fruits to the public. Last week, Horticorp had announced the online sale of vegetables in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. In the capital, Horticorp is also supplying veggies through residents’ associations.
