To rein in soaring vegetable prices during the Onam season, Horticorp will procure vegetables worth `3.5 crore from other states as part of a major market intervention initiative. The agriculture department has allocated around `10.24 crore to implement the market intervention effectively. According to official sources, the prices of vegetables are likely to go up during the festival season. Owing to erratic weather conditions, there has been a slight decline in vegetable production in the state.
In 2024, the agriculture department procured 3,248 tonnes of vegetables for organising Onam markets. Of this, 1,737.47 tonnes of vegetables were procured from local farmers across the state. Horticorp procured 1510.64 tonnes of vegetables from other states to meet the demand. This year, the department is planning to set up 2000 Onam markets jointly with Horticorp and VFPCK (Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam) from September 1 to 4.
The agriculture department will be setting up 1,076 Onam markets through Krishi Bhavans, where vegetables will be sold at prices up to 30% lower than the open market. With only 43% of Kerala's vegetable demand being met by local production, the remaining 57% will be sourced from states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
Read more at The New Indian Express
