Horticorp steps in to address shortage of vegetables, fruits

It has started procurement of vegetables, mainly snake gourd, cucumber, pumpkin, beans, and spinach, from the 200-acre Mambara fields at Cheriyanad

Horticorp has launched a mission to address the shortage of vegetables and fruits in the State against the backdrop of the lockdown implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Talking to The Hindu , Horticorp managing director J.Sajeev said the corporation had already started procuring vegetables from farmers, who too were desperate for want of market for their produce.

The corporation had already procured over 100 tonnes of vegetables directly from farms in Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram.

He said pineapple and mango procurement too started the other day. A total of 20 tonnes of pineapple and five tonnes of mango had been procured from Vazhakulam in Ernakulam and Muthalamada in Palakkad.

Horticorp had also started procurement of vegetables, mainly snake gourd, cucumber, pumpkin, beans, and spinach, from the 200-acre Mambara fields at Cheriyanad, near Chengannur, on Monday. The target of the corporation was to procure about 80 tonnes of vegetables a day from different parts of the State, he said.

Competitive rates

Mr. Sajeev said Horticorp was procuring vegetables at competitive rates from farmers. Vegetables and fruits procured from the farms were being transported to the 100 Horticorp outlets and 200 franchisees in different parts across the State for supplying them to the needy households.

The corporation would also supply vegetables to community kitchens opened across the State.

Mr. Sajeev said Horticorp had joined hands with AM Needs for supplying vegetables online in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

He said the corporation would also procure banana from farmlands in Wayanad.