KOCHI: The State Government will allot funds to the tune of Rs 3.17 crore to the district for revitalising vegetable farming and for implementing various projects in this regard.
According to a statement issued here by the Principal Agriculture Office, as many as 3.5 lakh packets of vegetable seeds will be distributed free of cost as part of the 'Onathinoru Muram Pachakkari' (A bag full of vegetables for Onam) project. Each packets worth Rs 10 will be distributed free of cost among the school students within two weeks after the school reopening. A total of 10 lakh saplings and another one lakh seed packets will be distributed to the farmers through Krishi Bhavans in the district.
The seed packets are produced with the help of VFPCK and various farms under the Agriculture Department. Those schools which are cultivating vegetables in at least 10 cents of land on its premises will be given a sum of `5000. The farming will be launched in 210 schools this year. If the farming is launched as clusters of five hectares, each cluster will be given an amount of Rs 75,000. The Government has instructed to give financial aid to 85 clusters this year.