The demand for a separate Krishi Bhavan for West Kochi region is gaining momentum.
As of now, there is only one Krishi Bhavan at Vyttila to take care and coordinate the entire agriculture activities in the jurisdiction of Kochi Corporation that spread 94.88 km.
“The West Kochi region, where agriculture is still the livelihood of many families, really deserves more attention of the officials of Agriculture Department. Presently, people from reas such as Kumbalangi and Chellanam panchayats travel till Vyttila to get technical advice from the officials or to avail any of the government-announced benefits. For this, they have to change two buses and to spend around `30,” said M P Sivadathan, a member of the District Agriculture Development Committee. He said that a memorandum in this regard would be submitted to the Government of Kerala.
More than 30 divisions of the Kochi Corporation are in West Kochi region. The region also comprises two coastal villages - Kumbalangi and Chellanam- where agriculture is a means livelihood other than fishing.
“We have to protect agriculture in this area. It may be noted that the agrarian lifestyle of people of Kumbalangi is one of the major attraction of the Kumbalangi Model Tourism Village. In that aspects, agriculture activities in West Kochi region and nearby panchayat should be promoted. A separate Krishi Bhavan with minimum three field officers is the need of west Kochi,” said Sivadathan.