Will ensure better prices for agri produce: Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Monday said that the government was committed to ensuring better market and decent prices for agriculture produce.
“Production increase alone won’t solve the problems plaguing the agriculture sector. The market for agriculture produce should increase proportionately to that of production. Farmers should get fair price for their produce. In order to ensure these, government would set up wholesale markets, district-level warehouses, block-level markets and weekly markets under Subhiksha Keralam programme,” the chief minister said.
The Subhiksha Keralam programme was specially designed to address the food security needs in view of the new challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic.
He was inaugurating via videoconference the distribution of coconut saplings, second phase distribution of fruit tree saplings, farmers’council and Njattuvela market here on Monday.
Vijayan said that Subhiksha Keralam programme aimed to promote in a big way agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries. “The programmes aimed at converting barren land into arable one is getting overwhelming response. All those who are part of the initiative to plant one crore fruit trees should ensure the after care of these saplings,” he said.
The state currently has very low acerage of coconut plantation with yields too pretty low. That’s why the government has decided to procure and distribute hybrid varieties of coconut tree saplings through Krishi bhavans, he said. According to the chief minister, vegetable cultivation in the state has increased substantially to 14.72 lakh metric tonne as school students to home makers have ventured into it. “It shows that vegetable cultivation is fast becoming a culture in Kerala,” he said.