The Hindu Business Line : Paddy grown in 45,000 acres of fallow land in Kerala

The panchayats were expected to go in for paddy cultivation in over 10,000 acres during the year. However, the achievement was more than four times the target, the Minister for Local Administration, Mr Paloli Mohamed Kuty, said.

The Minister said that the panchayats performed well in the agricultural sector last year. They spent Rs 121.31 crore on various projects in the sector out of the budgeted Rs 157.07 crore, marking an achievement of 77.23 per cent. He noted that it was immensely satisfying to see that the panchayats had taken up the challenge of increasing food production in all its seriousness.

The State had been experiencing the negative impact of going slow in the agriculture sector and the panchayats had become aware of the situation and started giving top priority for increasing food production.

This was a good beginning and it should be possible in the coming years to utilise all the fallow land in the State for agricultural purpose. The panchayats should extend all assistance to achieve the goal, Mr Kutty said. The provisions of the Employment Guarantee Scheme could be adopted in the agriculture sector, the Minister said and added that the scheme helped take up paddy cultivation in 16,452 acres of land last year and its full potential should be utilised in the coming years.

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