Taking a cue from the mode of hi-tech agricultural practices from Israel, State Horticulture Mission - Kerala will now be focusing on increasing vegetable production through polyhouse and protected cultivation.
Internationally reputed companies will share their expertise in Kerala for vegetable cultivation which can be carried out round the year.
A company will be selected by the first week of July to implement the project in Kerala on a pilot basis which would then be exposed to the agriculture experts in the state.
Horticulture Mission director K Prathapan said that Israel had already proved that though they did not have sufficient land, water and social fertility, hi-tech farming resulted in a good produce. The same technology can be adopted in Kerala, which is also facing similar nature as that of Israel.
“In the initial phase, the project will be implemented in 21 public sector undertaking including agriculture universities and other related institutions. Apart from this, agriculture land of selected 63 farmers will also be included for the hi-tech farming”, he said.
Polyhouse farming is done inside an inflated structure covered with a transparent material in which crops are grown under controlled environment conditions. Crop production could be possible all throughout the year or part of the year as required which increases the production.
The expense of polyfarm comes to around `935 per square metre. Of this, 50 per cent would be borne by the Union Government and 25 per cent by the State Government. Though the expenditure would be high in the initial period, it would break even after three crops. The farmers to be included in the project would be identified later. Precise farming will be held in an open field where fertiliser and moisture will be utilised more effectively. Mechanised system of drip irrigation will be used here for bringing in the desired quantity of fertiliser and water to the root zone of the crop. Carbon dioxide will be pumped for rain water harvesting which can increase the production from five to ten times.
The hi-tech farming is part of the larger vegetable cultivation initiative to be self-sufficient in vegetable production.
The agriculture officials from the state will be taken to various destinations outside the state to have an on the spot exposure to the technology adopted there. They will be given training for adopting the international level of farming which can be implemented in Kerala.
High value vegetables like capsicum, cherry, tomato, brinjal and others will be given focus in polyhouse cultivation. All possibilities of cultivating various vegetables will be undertaken in an open field.