Kerala - Kozhikode   

Plan to boost agriculture

Staff Reporter

Coconut growing project planned

KOZHIKODE: Minister for local self-governments Paloli Mohammed Kutty will inaugurate an integrated coconut development project of the district panchayat on November 5. The venue is the Arikkulam KPMS High School Ground.

Panchayat president K.P. Kunahammedkutty said the project, estimated at Rs. 3.59 crore, would bring 600 hectares of land under coconut farming. This and related initiatives, such as growing of vegetables and banana, would benefit 2,500 farmers.

He said the project aimed at creating one-lakh man days and producing 35-lakh coconuts, 1,200 tonnes of banana, 1,000 tonnes of elephant yam and 500 tonnes of vegetable. The Coconut Development Board and the District Cooperative Bank were helping to implement it. Another initiative under the project was aimed at processing farm produce and selling them to beneficiaries.

Irrigation, manure manufacture, copra processing, dairying, poultry farming, setting up a common storage centre and saplings development centre and mid-crop agriculture were seven components of the project. A labour force would be raised to implement them. Insurance benefits would be provided to these workers, who could be paid a share of the profit.

A total of Rs 7.06 lakh would be disbursed as subsidy to farmers by the three-tier local bodies and the Coconut Development Board. The cooperative bank would lend the money at an interest rate of 7 per cent. Village-, block- and district-level committees would be formed to monitor the project.

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