Scheme to promote cool season crops launched

The State Horticulture Mission has launched a scheme to promote cool season crops at Vattavada, Kanthallur, and Devikulam.

A project was prepared when Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar visited the area two months ago.

Under the scheme, 2,000 hectares will be brought under vegetable cultivation.

The vegetables to be grown in the area include carrot, beetroot, cabbage, chilly, onion, and potato. Farmers will be given Rs. 15,000 a hectare for starting cultivation so that they could shun private money lenders during sowing season.

The scheme plans to maximise the area of cultivation in three seasons.

The main season of vegetable harvesting is over and the farmers are ready to prepare land for the second season of farming.

Farming in the second and third seasons are limited owing to shortage of irrigation facilities and water.

The government had earlier launched a scheme to clear grandis cultivated in the three grama panchats to bring more area under vegetable cultivation.

However, the plan had been kept on hold following a ban on tree felling.

Now, 1,025 farmers’ clubs had been constituted to make available funds through financial institutions.

Devikulam assistant agriculture director Bose Antony said farmers should apply to Krishi Bhavans to get financial help for starting vegetable cultivation.

Under the scheme, 2,000 hectares in Idukki will be brought under vegetable cultivation