The Kudumbashree mission has launched urban vegetable kiosks to ensure market for organic vegetables and tuber crops produced by its farming joint liability groups (JLGs) in the State.
Besides ensuring market for pesticide-free organic produce cultivated by the JLGs and value-added products made by various Kudumbashree units that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the kiosks will ensure an income for the groups managing them.
While the produce of the farming groups reaches ‘nattuchanthas’ or weekly markets, they cater mostly to rural areas. With demand for quality agriculture produce high in urban areas, the Kudumbashree targets setting up 100 kiosks in select urban areas by including them under the Kerala State Planning Board’s special livelihood package.
90 locations
Ninety urban locations have been identified for setting up the kiosks that are uniformly branded with one single design. Kudumbashree has issued the guidelines for this.
The space for the kiosks is identified through the municipality or Corporation concerned. They will function under the Kudumbashree urban community development societies (CDS) concerned. A management committee will be set up for the smooth functioning of the kiosks. The committees will have one CDS representative, Kudumbashree district mission representative, and district programme manager as members.
Already functioning
The urban vegetable kiosks have already started functioning in Kottayam, Thrissur, Wayanad, and Ernakulam districts.
In Thiruvananthapuram, one kiosk each has opened at Pazhakutti and Kallingal in Nedumangad municipality. The latest is set to be inaugurated at TB Junction in Neyyattinkara municipality on September 15. Another kiosk will come up at Pathamkallu in Nedumangad soon, and three more are slated to come up in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation limits.
