KOCHI: Teaming up with the government to promote organic farming in the state, the Vegetable and Fruits' Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) has come up with 'Grow Your Own Food' (GYOF) initiative The plan is to encourage more and more people to cultivate pesticide free, nutritious and healthy food on their rooftop by setting a Smart Kitchen Garden.
The Smart Kitchen Garden, the first of its kind initiative in Kerala, will have its maiden launch in the city. Later, it is likely to be expanded statewide. The VFPCK has already inked a pact with WRENCH Solutions to distribute seedlings to benefit those who have a desire to cultivate crops.The 'Smart Kitchen Garden' will have 'grow bags' with coir pith and composts are used instead of soil. According to the promoters of the programme, these grow bags are effective than the common grow bags available in the market.
“Polycarbonate greenhouse sheets are used which offer more durability. They can last upto 10 years and it also has additional UV filter coating which protects the plants from the excessive heat. For `95,000, WRENCH will provide all facilities, including the crops and panels,” said K Varghese Daniel, CEO, WRENCH Solutions. GYOF will source and distribute high-quality seedlings for growing in the Smart Kitchen Garden from VFPCK which recently established a seedling producing unit at a cost of ` 10 crore.
Organic agri fest from today
Kochi: ‘Greenfest’, the annual agri-commodities' festival organised by the Kerala Agriculture Development Society (KADS), will get under way here on Friday. The event aimed at reviving the agricultural sector by providing a market for the state’s organic farmers will be on till May 20. Organic vegetables and pesticide-free agricultural produce from farms in central Kerala will be sold at affordable rates at the festival. The ‘Greenfest’ is modelled on the lines of the ‘Karshika Mela’ in Thodupuzha, the biggest farmers' fest in the state.