THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 'Onathinu Oru Muram Pachakkari' scheme, aimed to provide non-toxic vegetables at home, is getting ready for harvest. The expected yield is 32,000 to 40,000 tonnes of vegetables. There is great hope in farming using seeds and long-term vegetable seedlings provided through 1076 Krishi Bhavans. The aim is to produce 70 percent of the vegetables for Onam here itself, but the crops were destroyed in many places during the monsoon. Due to this, it is estimated that the expected yield will not be there.
Vegetable seeds and seedlings were produced and distributed through institutions/agencies such as Indian Institute of Horticulture Research-Bangalore, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Indian Vegetable Research Institute - Varanasi, Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council- Kerala, Kerala Agricultural University, Farms under the Department of Agriculture, Karshika Karma Sena (KKS), Agro Service Centre, Krishikkuttam, Block Level Federated Organizations, Kudumbashree and block panchayat level nurseries approved by the Department of Agriculture. The project was implemented with the participation of farmers, farming groups, students, cooperatives, Kudumbashrees, officials, voluntary organizations, people's representatives, local bodies etc.
55 crore crop damage
More crops were damaged in Alappuzha, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Idukki and Kannur districts due to the rains. In Alappuzha, there was a loss of Rs 91.70 lakh for 28,893 farmers. In Wayanad, 57,172 hectares of crops were damaged to the tune of Rs 65.67 lakh. There was also a loss of 50.77 lakhs in Ernakulam. A total crop loss of 4.55 crores was reported.
25 lakh vegetable seeds given