With the crops intended for the Onam market destroyed by heavy rains, there is growing concern over rising prices as reliance on imported vegetables increases. Essential vegetables such as pumpkin, elephant yam, bitter gourd, tomato, plantain, and palayankodan from regions including Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Wayanad, and Palakkad have been heavily damaged. The agriculture department’s goal to boost domestic production to 15 lakh metric tonnes has been thwarted, with more than 25% of the crops lost. As a result, 9 lakh metric tonnes of vegetables will need to be sourced from Tamil Nadu and Mysore.
The ‘Onathinu Oru Muram Pachakari’ program, which distributed seeds through 1076 Krishi Bhavans to encourage home vegetable cultivation, was also impacted by the adverse weather. Although many seeds germinated, the majority of crops perished due to the rains.
Cultivated Crops and Areas:
Plantain: Thrissur, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode
Pumpkin: Thrissur, Alappuzha, Venmani
Snake Gourd: Palakkad, Kottayam, Thrissur
Bitter Gourd, Beans: Idukki
Ginger: Wayanad, Thrissur
Tomato: Kozhikode
Carrot, Cabbage, Beans: Munnar
