District Collector R. Girija has called upon government employees to extend all support and promotion to the government’s efforts to produce vegetables required for the State through organic farming.
The Collector was distributing seeds as part of the Agriculture Department’s ‘Onathinu Oru Muram Pachakkari’ scheme, aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in vegetable production, here on Monday.
She said government servants should take steps to make people aware of the importance of organic farming. Each employee should at least produce vegetables required for his/her own family. Those who faced scarcity of land might utilise the support of the Agriculture Department to take up terrace cultivation, Ms. Girija said.
Cancer cases
The Collector said various reports showed that the number of cancer cases in the district were on the rise. She said there had been a never-before spurt in the receipt applications from cancer patients for changing their ration cards to BPL category.
“We have to completely exclude use of pesticides and switch over to organic farming. It is the only solution to counter this alarming situation,’’ she said.
Ms. Girija said people should be made aware of the harmful use of pesticides and chemicals in the production and storage of vegetables and other food items.
For self-reliance
She called for full support of the people to the Agriculture Department’s project to make the State self-reliant in vegetable production during Onam.
Vegetable seed kits were given to 120 employees.
Titty Annie George and Jyothilekshmi, Deputy Collectors; P.S. Shyla, Legal Officer; and N. Jayasree, Husur Sirasthdar, and N.V. Santhosh, staff council secretary; were present.