Kerala to intensify market intervention to check price spikes during festivals

The Kerala Agriculture department is set to intensify its market intervention measures during upcoming festival seasons and the Sabarimala pilgrimage period. Agriculture Minister T. Siddique announced the move on Friday, stating that the objective is to prevent artificial price escalation and shield both farmers and consumers from exploitation by middlemen.

Speaking to the media in Kozhikode, the Minister highlighted the success of the Onasamrudhi farmers' markets, which operated through a fully digital system. He credited the Kathir app for playing a significant role in streamlining the marketing of farm produce.

Addressing payment concerns, Mr. Siddique said Horticorp has cleared dues to farmers for procured produce, except for a pending amount of ₹3.09 lakh owed to 202 farmers due to technical issues. He assured that these payments would be credited to their accounts within a week.

The Minister noted that over two lakh tonnes of produce procured from farmers were distributed through 2,000 farmers' markets. Vegetables with a market value of ₹14.25 crore were supplied to 2,94,785 consumers, benefiting 14,212 farmers.

On the coconut sector, the State government will organise Keralolsavam at Vazhuthacaud in Thiruvananthapuram on September 2, as part of World Coconut Day. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will inaugurate the event. A stakeholders' meeting involving coconut-sector agencies will also be held, and a comprehensive coconut revival project is planned to restore Kerala's position as a leading coconut-producing state.

Mr. Siddique also said he had discussions with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on various agricultural projects, including a proposed coconut park at Kuttiady in Kozhikode. Further steps will be taken to implement these proposals.