THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Agriculture Minister P Prasad inaugurated the planting of organic vegetable saplings on the premises of the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare headquarters at Thycaud on Thursday.
The aim of the project is to provide organic vegetables to children under the council’s care. Launching the ‘planting festival,’ the minister said as population and consumption rise, cultivation of pesticide-free vegetables was the only way to arrest price rise. He also urged people to convert all available spaces into vegetable gardens and develop a new farming culture.
Prasad said there was no individual who has not benefited from agriculture. Keralites should change the mentality that producing food was someone else’s responsibility. The minister lauded the council for taking the initiative to grow pesticide-free vegetables for the children under its care. Such an initiative could serve as a model for the entire state, he said. Organic vegetables will be cultivated at the council’s nine other centres also.