Kudumbashree is launching two new initiatives, ‘Nirapolima 2024’ and ‘Onakkani 2024,’ to enhance Onam celebrations with fresh flowers and toxin-free vegetables. Minister MB Rajesh will inaugurate these projects at 10:30 AM today at Perungadavila junction.
The ‘Nirapolima 2024’ project aims to provide employment opportunities for women farmers by cultivating flowers such as marigold, jasmine, chendumalli, and globe amaranth across a thousand acres. The Agriculture Department will offer technical assistance and marketing support. Currently, 3,350 farmer groups are involved in cultivating flowers over 1,250 acres.
The ‘Onakkani 2024’ initiative focuses on producing non-toxic vegetables and fruits. This year, 2,500 hectares will be dedicated to crops like pulses, bitter gourd, ladies finger, snake gourd, banana, spinach, yam, tomato, brinjal, moringa, mango, and chillies. The produce will be sold directly to the public market.
Under Kudumbashree, 11,298 farmer groups are already cultivating vegetables across 2,000 hectares. The initiatives aim to provide livelihood to 25,000 women farmers, including 20,000 this year through vegetable cultivation and 5,000 during the Onam season through flower cultivation.
In addition to major festivals like Onam, Christmas, Vishu, and Ramzan, Kudumbashree will organize marketing fairs to promote and sell agricultural products.
