KOCHI: A comprehensive plan will be devised for the protection and promotion of pokkali farming in the district. The proposals mooted under the plan include setting up of a seed bank to extend pokkali farming to 2,000 hectares by 2018.
The decisions were taken at the general council meeting of Pokkali Field Development Committee (PFDC) held at the district administration headquarters here on Monday. “The integrated plan for development of pokkali farming will be submitted before the state government. Before unveiling the plan, a decision on various aspects will be taken at the next council meeting,” said District Collector K Mohammed Y Safeerulla.“The council will look into various steps required for protection of traditional pokkali farming and the issues faced by farmers. The suggestions and recommendations of members will be incorporated in the draft plan which will be submitted before the Planning Committee.
“Once the Planning Committee gives its nod, the proposal will be submitted before the pre-budget session. The aim is to get pokkali development scheme included in the next annual budget of the government and get necessary budget allocation,” said Safeerulla. The council meeting was also attended by MLAs, S Sarma and K J Maxi, as well as PFDC vice chairman Dinakaran.
Sarma said the pokkali farming development agency will take the initiative to set up a seed bank this year. “The seed bank will be set up with the help of Kerala State Seed Development Authority and Rice Research Station, Vyttila. The seed bank will chiefly aim to procure seeds for cultivation next year. The pokkali farmers should get a support price of `150. We also proposed a separate plan for protection of traditional farming sector. Every year, pokkali farmers should get a minimum subsidy of `4-5 crore,” Sarma said.
The council meeting also demanded the subsidy for pokkali farming should be increased to
Rs 20,000 per hectare. “ Presently pokkali farmers use the field for shrimp farming in the interim. This must change. The farmers should be made self-sufficient with the help of pokkali cultivation alone,” Sarma said.The meeting looked into the tourism potential of some of the areas at Goshree islands where pokkali farming is widely practised. “Vypeen and Kadamakkudi islands have immense potential to be developed into Agri-Tourism destinations. The scope should be fully utilised so as to increase the flow of domestic and international tourists to these destinations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Safeerulla said though the original plan was to undertake pokkali farming in 1,000 hectares this year, until now pokkali farming has been carried out only in 635 hectares. “Next year, we are confident of carrying out pokkali cultivation in 2,000 hectares. Hence, this year’s main target will be procurement of enough seeds to extend cultivation to 2,000 hectares,” he said. Of the nearly 17,000 hectares of pokkali fields situated in Ernakulam and Thrissur, Ernakulam, Aroor and Kodungalloor account for a majority of them.
Farming on 1,000 acres planned
Of the nearly 17,000 hectares of pokkali fields situated in Ernakulam and Thrissur, Ernakulam, Aroor and Kodungalloor account for majority of them.Though the original plan was to undertake pokkali farming in 1,000 hectares this year, until now pokkali farming has been carried out only in 635 hectares.