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Red citadel in all-out effort to go green

Kerala is on the threshold of what could turn out to be a second green revolution, which would see a manifold increase in vegetable production that would make the state self-sufficient in three years, and end the state's perennial dependence on neighbouring states for vegetables.

The dubious distinction that Kerala has achieved over the years as a consumer state holds good in the case of vegetables also, for which it looks to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra for supplies. It is estimated that vegetables worth about Rs 8.5 billion come to Kerala from these states annually.

The vagaries of the market in the producing states often reflect in the prices and availability of vegetables in Kerala. At times, there are uncontrolled spurts in prices or unexplained shortages.

It is with the aim of ending Kerala's dependence on other states and to generate employment opportunities in the production and distribution sectors, that the state government launched a massive scheme for vegetable cultivation on commercial lines. The scheme, launched on Kerala Day on November 1, 1997, has already started paying rich dividends.

According to state agriculture minister and Communist Party of India leader Krishna Kaniyamparambil, the land and climate of Kerala, ranging from the hot and humid low lands to the cool ambience of the high ranges, were highly suited to the cultivation of all varieties of vegetables. What was lacking was enterprise on part of the people and infrastructural facilities including a ready market for the commodities produced.

The ongoing programme, that began with the observance of 'Harita Varsha' (green year) from November 1,1997 to October 31, 1998, assists the cultivators from the time of distribution of seeds to marketing the commodities.

The programme is being implemented as a coordinated venture of the agriculture department, the Horticultural Products Development Corporation, the Kerala horticulture development programme, the Kerala agricultural university, the state farming corporation , the village, block and district panchayats, the national watershed programme and various schools.

The allocation for the programme during the current year was Rs 200 million by the government and Rs 2.04 billion by panchayats.

The most significant aspect of the programme was providing the motivation for people to come together and take up cultivation of vegetables on commercial lines. Apparently on the model of the primary milk societies that served as the backbone of Operation Flood, self-reliant groups of farmers, called Harita Sanghams, were formed in areas identified for vegetable cultivation.

In the first stage, the intensive vegetable development programme was taken up in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Alapuzha, Thrissur, Idukki, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kannur, where 112 areas were identified. In each area, three Sanghams were formed, each taking up cultivation in about 15 hectares of land, and together accounting for 1,680 hectares.

The Harita Sanghams were managed by committees that consisted of an elected president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, which implemented the project under the supervision and direction of the agricultural assistant of Krishi Bhavan. To monitor the programme's implementation, the agricultural officer of the area inspected the cultivation site every week and the agriculture deputy director concerned, once a month.

There was, according to sources in the agriculture department and local bodies, tremendous enthusiasm among cultivators in different regions of the state, with the societies making all out efforts to increase yield from the areas under their charge.

Before embarking on the programme, detailed discussions were held at the panchayat level to decide on the vegetables to be cultivated, and the financial assistance package available, besides making arrangements. Representatives of banks, Horticorp and the agriculture department attended such meetings.

According to Kaniyamparambil, the financial package for the programme included a 50 per cent subsidy on the cost of seeds, insecticides, manure, and tools subject to maximum of Rs 10,000 per hectare.

In addition, a subsidy of Rs 1,000 was given to each society and school coming forward to purchase sprayers.

In the package of plant protection practices, priority was given to organic insecticides.

Officials sources said 42 societies each were formed in Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha districts, 60 each in Thrissur and Palakkad, 81 in Idukki, 30 in Kannur and 21 in Kozhikode. The total area that had been brought under cultivation by the 336 groups in these places was 1,680 hectares. The government provided a subsidy of Rs 10.68 billion to these societies, apart from which an additional subsidy of Rs 336,000 was given to those who bought sprayers.

Apart from the intensive vegetable development programme, the government also took up commercial cultivation of vegetables in selected areas in each of the 14 districts of the state. The programme envisaged selection of one area of not less than ten hectares in one panchayat in each of the 140 assembly constituencies where commercial cultivation of vegetables could be taken up. In all, 1,400 hectares had been brought under commercial cultivation by 280 Harita groups. These groups received a subsidy of Rs 140 million.

Another important component of the programme was the promotion of school vegetable gardens. The idea was to motivate students to take to vegetable cultivation both in the school premises and at home. The school programme was a tremendous success, with students and teachers taking an active interest in raising vegetable gardens in the school premises. Forty schools were selected from each of the 14 districts for the programme that was implemented by many institutions.

For the 560 schools where the programme was started, the government provided a subsidy of Rs 490,000. In addition, schools that went in for digging of irrigation wells and installation of pump sets received a subsidy of Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,500 respectively. In many schools, the parent-teacher associations collected enough money for the construction of huge irrigation wells to serve as a permanent asset.

In most of the schools, the fag end of the academic year saw the harvest season of their vegetable gardens, and the yield from the school yard, which was considerable, was auctioned off every week.

The programme of cultivation in each school was under the charge of a selected teacher and a group of volunteer students who tended the garden outside school hours in the mornings and evenings and also during the work study hour.

The programme also envisaged cultivation of cold season vegetables in the high ranges in the Idukki and Wayanad districts. Cultivation of vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, and beet root had been taken up in an area of 500 hectares each in Idukki and Wayanad. Apart from the usual assistance, the farmers in these areas received an additional subsidy of Rs 1,000 per hectare.

In order to instill a sense of competition in cultivation, separate prize schemes had been evolved for both the Harita societies and the schools. While for the societies, the first prize was a power tiller and district-level prizes consisted of agricultural implements worth Rs 10,000, for schools, cash prizes of Rs 17,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 5,000 were given for the top three. Separate prizes had also been announced for teachers who lead the farm teams.

According to Kaniyamparambil, 45,392 tonnes of vegetables worth over Rs 450 million had been produced during the last four months. Efforts are on to improve the marketing network, including the setting up of vegetable supermarkets and Harita stalls with cold storage facilities, all over the state by November this year.

According to official sources, the pace of implementation of the programme and the enthusiasm generated among the people is such that the state is sure to attain self-sufficiency in vegetable production within the next three years.

UNI

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