KOCHI: Kerala will soon envy Lakshadweep. For the process to develop the island Union territory into an agriculture destination, to boost the production of coconut and other home-grown vegetables, has been initiated.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has drawn a detailed plan for the integrated development of agriculture in the island and also empower women by forming ‘Dweep Mahila Sangam’ similar to Kerala’s Kudumbashree.
“On the lines of Kudumbashree in Kerala, the UT administration is in the process of forming 35 Dweep Mahila Sangam for which Rs 46 lakh has been transferred to the district panchayat. Also, a perspective plan for the integrated development of agriculture in the UT has been submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture seeking a financial package of `37 crore,” said MHA’s latest annual report.
As per the statistics available, the total cropped area in Lakshadweep was 2,750 hectares in 2013-14 compared to 2,520 hectares in 2008-09. The last available data on coconut harvest was of the year 2010-11 during which the yield was 698.95 lakh units. Lakshadweep Department of Agriculture director Kabil Chaudhary said the proposal will definitely boost agriculture production in the island. “We are already running various schemes for agriculture. The said integrated development plan will be a fillip,” Chaudhary said, adding the forming of groups similar to Kudumbashree will be beneficial for the island’s women. “We have started discussions with Kerala for their assistance in forming the women groups,” he said.
Lakshadweep Development Corp Ltd has been exploring means to push coconut-based products to the mainland. “The main catch for our products in the market is they are produced in certified organic farms. Only a small percentage of the produce is locally consumed. The rest is available for trading,” he said.