Kollam:

Kulasekharapuram, a small panchayat on the border of Kollam district is all set to implement the United Nation’s call to observe 2014 as International Family Farming Year, raising the slogan of self-sustainability in food production.

The panchayat has two villages, Adinad and K.S. Puram and as many as 12,230 families in 23 wards. The agricultural office of the panchayat had identified the fact that extensive cultivation alone was not enough for food security. This concept was promoted in each family in the panchayat and a budget of Rs 5,80,000 was set apart for the venture.

“In 2010-11 when paddy production came down extensively, we promoted upland paddy cultivation on each and every available cent of land in this panchayat. It was from this experience that we got the motivation to take up this project,” said V.R. Binesh, Agricultural Officer, K.S. Puram.

The panchayat committee has organised meetings of prominent personalities in the village and gramasabhas in 23 wards to select a 30-member squad. The squad will be divided into groups and 150 houses will be assigned to each group. Three such groups will be assigned to a ward to distribute seeds and pamphlets.

The Oachira Farmers Extension Organisation (OFEO) will provide training as well as saplings in grow bags on demand, for Rs 60 per bag. Street plays will be staged at select junctions in the wards to spread awareness against the use of harmful pesticides while cultivating vegetables.

The excess vegetables from households will be procured by the panchayat to be sold in an organic vegetable outlet at Oachira. The ‘Mission 90 days’ project to be inaugurated on July 31, envisages a harvest by Onam.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC / by Sham Mohammed / July 03rd, 2014