As part of the Indo-Dutch action plan, a Rs 18 crore Centre of Excellence for fruits, vegetables and flowers will be set up in Thiruvanathapuram to conduct training and awareness sessions on poly house cultivation.
Of this amount, the central government will put in Rs eight crore and the state government the remaining Rs 10 crore, a release said.
The inputs needed for the same, such as hybrid seeds, fertilisers and the like will also be provided by the Centre.
Poly house cultivation is one of the flagship programs in the current state plan. "Poly house farming has the capability to increase crop yields by 5 to 10 times" said Dr K Prathapan, Mission Director of the State Horticultural Mission, Kerala, which will be implementing the project.
Netherlands will transfer the required technology for the centre. PUM experts from the Wageningen University,Netherlands along with the Kerala Agricultural University will train master trainers in poly house farming. These master trainers will in turn train farmers in clusters, so that the poly house farming can be spread across the state.
The Biofach organic exhibition that is being held along with the GAM is turning out to be an opportunity for organic farmers in the state to find buyers, from around the world.
Around 150 stalls are present in the exhibition where different organizations have showcased their products.
The exhibition also provides an opportunity to the farmers to identify the latest technologies from around the world that would help them in processing and adding value to their products.
