KOLLAM: Showing the way to other panchayats in the state by aiming to become self-sufficient in vegetable production, Kulasekharapuram in Kollam is on a drive to produce 27,000 kilograms of vegetables on its own. The panchayat will distribute 10 vegetable saplings of five varieties each to all the 13,500 households under the 23 wards ensuring participation of all families in the effort.
“The panchayat is implementing an integral programme in the wake of scarcity of safe and toxic-free food and the diseases that have been triggered as an after effect. Kulasekharapuram, after it got the title of complete organic panchayat, tries to produce toxic-free food items in all the houses under it. It is also a model of joint efforts made to achieve a common aim,” V.R. Binesh, agricultural officer told DC.
The project directs its beneficiaries to cultivate vegetables in grow bags or in plots of land on the premises, maintaining the saplings for the next three months. The authorities expect a production of 20 kilograms of vegetables from the 50 saplings in each house. A total of 13,500 households in turn will produce 27,000 kilograms of vegetables. The project also envisages producing around 500 metric tonnes of banana from these households. The members of the agricultural workforce constituted by the panchayat and MNREGA workers visit these households to plant banana in a pit of prescribed depth. Manure will also be supplied by the panchayat authorities. As many as 27000 tissue culture banana saplings will be planted, two each in a single household.
The panchayat also aims at implementing agriculture in 1.5 acres of wasteland found in all the 23 wards cultivating high-yield vegetables by using 6,500 kilograms of bio-manure as part of the Harita Keralam mission. Scientific training for cultivation will be imparted to selected volunteers from these wards. The surplus vegetables will be sold through eco-shops set up at Puthentheruvu in Karunagappally by the Kulasekharapuram panchayat. The panchayat was earlier selected for the ‘panchayat saktheekaran puraskar’ for its performance in the financial year 2014-15. It also promoted bio-farming and could utilise cent per cent funds allocated for the project and therefore acquired the honour ‘Kulasekharapuram model’.
