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Thiruvananthapuram, May 2 : Stung by the acute vegetable price-rise, the Kerala government is readying an emergency plan to ramp up the State’s annual vegetable output by at least one lakh tonnes. By a rough estimate, Rs 1000-crore worth vegetables are daily brought in from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to meet the shortage in Kerala.
“We have worked out a plan for creating 1000 organic vegetable villages this year,” says Kerala agriculture minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran. The programme will be rolled out this month, he said.
Agricultural Universisty, State Horticulture Mission, Horticorp and Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council will join hands to implement the programme.
The minister said that vegetable cultivation would be undertaken in 100 selected schools. The State government expects to facilitate the vermicompost necessary for the organic vegetable cultivation.
About 5000 hectares of land is expected to be brought under the purview of the new project.
Besides its farm-outfits, the State government has also plans to involve Kerala’s vibrant women self-help groups (SHGs) in the production of vegetables.
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