Safe-to-eat vegetables for Onam

Elamaram Kareem, MLA, looks at organic vegetables at an outlet at a co-operative bank in Kozhikode on Tuesday. -Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

The Calicut Town Service Cooperative Bank has joined hands with the District Organic Vegetable Producers Forum to make safe-to-eat vegetables available to people during the Onam season.

Trade union leader and Beypore MLA Elamaram Kareem opened the vegetable outlet started as part of the initiative at the Town Bank Tower on AG Road here on Tuesday.

The outlet that markets different varieties of vegetables collected from small groups of organic farmers from in and outside the State is only one among several initiatives started by the bank to promote cultivation of safe-to-eat vegetables, said K.P. Aboobacker, one of the directors of the bank.

‘‘Though the outlet is initially aimed at the Onam season, we have plans to make it a permanent setup,’’ he said.

Besides local varieties of cucumber, pumpkin and ash guard, the fair also has all the key ingredients for sambar, including drumstick, okra, and cowpea on display. “In addition to ensuring certification for the produces, we have also decided to periodically visit the fields, where the produces are harvested from,” said Mr. Aboobacker.

The bank is also planning to expand their vegetable outlets to other parts of the district once the availability of the vegetable is ensured.

The outlet at the Town Bank Tower will close on August 27.