Value-added vegetables to be cultivated in Gavi

PATHANAMTHITTA: The district administration is poised to launch a novel project for the cultivation of value-added vegetables in Gavi, with the twin objective of empowerment of the 300-odd hapless Lankan Tamil repatriate families there and to ensure availability of organic vegetables in the district.Talking to Express, District Collector P Venugopal said that the project of producing value-added vegetables, including cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, raddish and beetroot, would be launched in 50 acres of land as a pilot project.“Taking advantage of the weather conditions, the coverage would be extended to another 50 more acres in subsequent years,” he said.“The project would be implemented in association with  the State Horticulture Mission, Agriculture Department, Forest Department, Kudumbashree and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme,” he said.“As part of the project, the cultivable land under the use of the Lankan Tamils would be utilised for the purpose,” Venugopal said.“Following the method of organic farming, the vegetables cultivated there would be of top quality and free from chemical fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides,” he said. “The State Horticulture Mission and Agriculture Department would oversee the farming operation by seeking the help of members of the district Kudumbashree Mission’s Gavi unit,” Venugopal said.“Though the Lankan repatriates used to cultivate vegetables in a low-key at present, earnings from the products were meagre due to transportation bottlenecks and low prices at Vandiperiyar where the vegetables were sold,” he said.“To ensure fair prices and making available organic vegetables in the district, the entire production would be brought to important centres in the district for marketing,” he said.As part of implementing the project, a team headed by District Collector P Venugopal and Ranni divisional forest officer R Kamalahar visited Gavi on Monday.