As much as 5,000 acres of fallow land will be used for cultivation in the district as part of the Subhiksha Keralam project launched by the State government to ensure self-sufficiency in vegetable production.
The project has been launched in view of the expected shortage of vegetables coming from neighbouring States following the COVID-19 outbreak.
Announcing the plans for the district here at a press conference on Friday, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the project brings together the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Industries, Fisheries, Water Resources, and Cooperative departments.
Workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme, Kudumbashree volunteers, cooperative banks, volunteers and farmers’ organisations will be made part of the activities.
The Agriculture Department will provide quality seeds and saplings, sourced from agricultural farms and universities. Planting festival will be organised in fallow lands between May 25 and 30, with harvesting expected to take place by July end.
Projects amounting to ₹3,863 crore across the State are being planned under the Subhiksha Keralam project. A total of 25,000 hectares of land will be brought under cultivation, out of which paddy will be grown in 5,000 hectares, vegetables and plantain in 7,000 hectares each, tubers in 5,000 hectares, pulses and food grains in 500 hectares each.
Mr. Surendran had earlier chaired a meeting of people’s representatives to chalk out the programmes in the district as part of the project. District panchayat president V.K. Madhu and city Corporation Mayor K. Sreekumar were present at the press conference. .
