Kerala announces base price for homegrown vegetables

The farmer will be benefitted for the crops that are cultivated on a maximum of up to 15 acres in one season. If the market price falls lower than the fixed floor price, the harvest would be procured by the Kerala Agriculture department and the total amount calculated based on the fixed base price will be credited to the farmer’s account.

Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to support the farmers in the State, the Kerala Government announced base prices (floor price) for homegrown vegetables.

Kerala is the first State in India to implement such a relief measure to support the farmers, in times of market instability, said the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In the first phase, the base prices of 16 agricultural crops have been fixed by the Government. The declared base prices will come into effect from November 1, 2020.

Raw Nendran banana, potato, carrots, tapioca (cassava), lady’s finger, ash gourd, bitter gourd, tomatoes, pineapple, garlic, snake gourd, cucumber, cabbage, beetroot, beans and long beans will be given a base price in the first phase.

The farmer will be benefitted for the crops that are cultivated on a maximum of up to 15 acres in one season. If the market price falls lower than the fixed floor price, the harvest would be procured by the Kerala Agriculture department and the total amount calculated based on the fixed base price will be credited to the farmer’s account. The base price would also be renewed from time to time.

In order to ensure the quality of products coming into the market, the floor price will be fixed based on the grading at the time of procurement of the produce and as per its quality. The project is being implemented jointly by the State Departments of Agriculture, Local Self Governance and Co-operative department.

The farmer must register on the State Agriculture department’s portal. However, registration is mandatory for the time being.

The vegetables and other farm produce thus procured would be sold through the Agriculture Department’s markets and the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies. The Chief Minister said this decision will help boost farming initiatives in the State.

Paddy cultivation in the State has also increased. Vegetable production in the State has doubled from 7 lakh metric tonnes to 14.72 lakh metric tonnes, the CM added.