KOCHI: The State Horticulture Mission (SHM) has decided to set up five units of Giggin's Farm Villa in the State, which is an intensive integrated vertical farming system developed by the Kannur division of Krishi Vigyan Kendra with the aim of converging agriculture, animal husbandry and dairy farming.
Initially, the SHM will study and review the performance of the Farm Villa, as part of promoting multiple-storey farming. Later, the concept will by popularised across the country.
The Giggin's Farm Villa had caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited the Krishi Unnati Mela-2016, a national agriculture fair held in New Delhi recently.
Speaking to 'Express', Dr T Giggin of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Kannur who invented the system said the National Agriculture Mission had advised to set up five units of the Farm Villa in Kerala after the Prime Minister visited the Kerala pavilion at the Krishi Unnati Mela. "Based on the feedback on the model farming, Giggin's Farm Villa is likely to be popularised across the country, especially in the Northeast where intensive integrated vertical farming is best suitable for the terrain. The Agriculture Department has set up one Farm Villa in Kannur and another in Thrissur with the help of the ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) under the Kerala Government and the NABARD, respectively. Meanwhile, administrative sanction has been received for setting up three more units - in Kannur, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram," said officials. "The Farm Villa project, which incorporates agricultural cultivation and animal rearing through vertical farming, helps farmers overcome constraints posed by lack of space. The unit can be set up even on one cent of land. What makes it attractive is its multifaceted nature, wherein farmers can rear goats, hens, rabbits and quails, while also cultivating vegetables, gathering seeds, supplying saplings and catering to production of organic manure. In short, it is a comprehensive unit that assures guaranteed income for families," they added.
"The design of the Farm Villa is unique as animals can be housed in spacious, technically designed compartments. The roofs of the compartments consist of galleries where vegetables, seeds and saplings can be reared. Special provision has been made to collect animal and bird droppings, in order to convert them into organic manure. The entire structure has been envisaged so as to protect the interests of farmers," said Giggin. "Kerala Horticulture Mission director K Prathapan said the project was being implemented as a model project. Now, it is an engineering structure that needs to be fine-tuned before implementing as a sustainable integrated vertical farming unit nationally," he added.