Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan will announce the organic farming policy of the State in Kozhikode on May 17.
Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran said in an official release here on Thursday that the policy envisaged organic farming zone in each district so that about 30,000 hectares could be brought under organic farming. The plan would cover about two lakh farmers.
The Minister said the government proposed to form ‘harita villages' in which at least some part of the farms could be set up for cultivation of vegetable and fruit trees and medicinal plans. At least 150 such villages would be formed within a year.
He recalled that the government had introduced interest-free loans to paddy cultivators and procured paddy at Rs.12 a kg. Modern mills were set up at Alathur, Thakkazhi and Vaikom to process the procured paddy.
