The Agriculture Department is developing an action plan for reorganising the activities of the department to accommodate the concept of agro-ecological zones.
For drawing up the plan, the department has formed a high-level committee with the Agriculture Production Commissioner as its chairman and the Agriculture Director as the convener.
The panel has 13 other members drawn from the Departments of Finance, Local Self Government, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Soil Survey and Soil Conservation, the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), and the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU).
ADVERTISEMENT
Priority sector
Agriculture and allied activities are a priority sector identified for development using the first tranche of the proposed World Bank development policy loan (DPL) for the post-flood Rebuild Kerala initiative. Part of the loan would be utilised for developing the concept of agro-ecological zones, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar said.
For the integrated development of agriculture as a production sector, the State has been divided into agro-ecological zones and agro-ecological units. While the concept was designed to enable the sector to adapt to the long-term effects of climate change, the scenario that has evolved after the 2018 floods has given it an added impetus. The action plan is meant to equip the department to supply the necessary administrative backup for its implementation.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The agro-ecological zones were demarcated on the basis of soil characteristics and other geographical factors for determining crops, crop management techniques and manure use appropriate for each zone. To enable this, the government plans to make suitable realignments in the State budget,” Mr Sunil Kumar said.