Central aid to promote floriculture in district

Renu Ramanath

Scheme to be implemented through farmers' groups

KOCHI: Ernakulam district will get Rs.100.45 lakhs this year for promoting floriculture, cultivating medicinal herbs, intercrops and mixed crops.

This scheme, coupled with the Flower Collection Centre coming up in Aluva, is expected to offer a big support to the flori-cultivators in the district.

The additional Central-assisted scheme for Floriculture, Medicinal Plants and Intercrops and Mixed Crops Cultivation offers a subsidy of 90 per cent to the farmers, which is the highest subsidy offered so far for floriculture projects in the State. The earlier schemes had offered up to 50 per cent subsidy at the maximum, according to Rani Roselynd, K.R., Deputy Director (Floriculture). Farmers have to bear only the remaining 10 per cent of the total project cost. The collection centre, coming up near the Aluva market, will be opened in February. The centre, built at a cost of Rs.7 lakhs, will have facilities for storage of flowers, including temperature-controlled rooms. An apex society of the flori-clubs in the district will also start functioning in January.

The scheme will be implemented through farmers' groups. There can be a maximum of 115 groups in the district. The assistance will be given for the cultivation of five items, namely orchid/anthurium, bush jasmine, loose flowers, medicinal plants and inter-crops/mixed crops.

A total number of 2,885 units of the different flower crops will be cultivated in the district as part of the scheme.

The schemes will give preference to unemployed youth, especially women. However, only those farmers who have their own land are eligible to apply for the schemes. Those who cultivate on leased lands are not eligible. Only one member from one family can apply for the scheme.

The target for the cultivation of orchid/anthurium flowers in the district is 1,675 units, with each unit including 100 plants. A subsidy of Rs.5,400 will be given for each unit. Among the 100 plants included in each unit, 50 per cent should be near to the flowering stage and the remaining 50 per cent should be in a six-to-seven leaves stage. This is to ensure immediate revenues for the cultivators.

For bush jasmine cultivation, at least 125 plants in five cents of land are needed to make up a unit, for which Rs.1,250 will be given as subsidy. The target is to have at least 320 similar units in the district.

The loose flowers category includes the various flowers like marigold (jamanthi), gomphrena, nerium (arali), crossandra (kanakambaram) and others. The project targets to set up 400 units in the district, with each unit including 1,000 plants in five cents of land. Each unit will get an assistance of Rs.500.

For the medicinal plants, Rs.1,000 will be given as subsidy for one unit. Each unit should have at least 25 cents of land. Any widely accepted varieties of medicinal plants having local market could be cultivated. The scheme targets to have 250 units in the district.

The inter-crops/mixed crops scheme aims at cultivating crops in coconut groves. The crops can include anything from bananas, pepper, nutmeg, clove, ginger and others. At least 25 cents of land is needed to make up one unit. Each unit will be given a subsidy of Rs.625 each. The target is to have 240 units in the district.

The farmers' groups, including 25 farmers in each, can be registered at the local Krishi Bhavans. Only one unit of a single item will be allotted to one person, but a combination of different items will be given.

Principal Agriculture Officer N. Vijayan requested the farmers to contact the local Krishi Bhavans or Block Offices for taking part in the scheme.
(The Hindu-11/01/06, Wednesday)