Kerala - Kollam   

Role for Krishi Bhavans to increase production

Staff Reporter

To be assigned annual targets in respective areas

Minister for Agriculture Mullakkara Ratnakaran inaugurating a public meeting in connection with the 33rd State conference of the Association of Agricultural Officers Kerala in Kollam on Saturday.

KOLLAM: Minister for Agriculture Mullakkara Ratnakaran has said that as part of the Government policy to increase agricultural production, Krishi Bhavans in the State will be given an annual target to be achieved in their respective area.

Inaugurating a public meeting organised in connection with the 33rd State conference of the Association of Agricultural Officers Kerala, the Minister said the steps were aimed at revolutionising the agriculture sector in the State.

He called upon agricultural officers to do everything possible towards increasing production.

Mr. Ratnakaran said the declaration of a procurement price of Rs.8.50 for paddy came as a big boost to paddy cultivation in the State. This resulted in an additional paddy production of 80,000 tonnes during this season and Kuttanand area alone was responsible for an additional production of 30,000 tonnes.

This appreciable increase in paddy production would be extended to the coconut sector in order to increase coconut production. Suitable procurement price for copra would be declared. The Government also intended to create model Kera farms in the State.

He wanted the Agriculture Department to associate itself with the price play for agricultural products.

Krishi Bhavans would be asked to identify arable land lying idle in their respective areas and probe ways for utilising such land for farming. The Minister pointed out that in spite of the increase in paddy production during this season as a result of the declaration of a well-accepted procurement price, the Agriculture Department in no way anticipated the increase in production. This was a drawback, he said and wanted the department to get more involved with the pulse of the agricultural sector.

Minister for Labour P.K. Gurudasan, N. Anirudhan, MLA, and district panchayat president K. Devaki addressed.

State president of the association Thomas Zacharia presided. General secretary of the association P. Vinayachandran welcomed the gathering and State treasurer of the association Biju S. Simon proposed a vote of thanks.

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