KOCHI: Kudumbashree Mission’s Onam fairs raked in a record sale of Rs 23 crore this year. As many as 1,070 Onam fairs were held across the state, which increased Kudumbashree’s earnings by Rs 4 crore from last year. Ernakulam district stood first with Rs 3.3 crore worth of sales. Last year, the Kudumbashree Onam fairs saw sales worth Rs 19 crore.
Expressing his delight over the achievement, Minister for LSGD and Excise M B Rajesh took to Facebook and said, “The products made by 20,990 joint liability groups (JLG) units were sold at the Onam fairs held all over the state. The highest number of fairs were organised in Malappuram, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts,” said Rajesh.
He lauded the Kudumbashree for playing a significant role in the state government’s initiative to curb the price hike of essential commodities in the market. “Besides selling various essential items, the Kudumbashree members also showcased their strength as farmers.
Several units achieved great success at flower farming this Onam. We used to depend solely on the neighbouring states to meet our flower requirements during the festive season. However, this year, around 1,819 women farmer groups under the Kudumbashree cultivated flowers on 780 acres of land. The flower cultivation was carried out on 128 acres only last year,” said the minister.