The Hindu Business Line : VFPCK hopes to treble veg, fruit production in two years

VEGETABLE and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK), the successor to the European Union-funded Kerala Horticulture Development Programme (KHDP), has extended its operations to 13 districts out of 14 in the State to treble vegetable production to three lakh tonnes in two years.

At this rate, the council can produce 50 per cent of the State's vegetable requirement (an estimated 18 lakh tonnes a year) in five years, Mr Ashok Kumar Thekkan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), VFPCK, told Business Line. He said that with the inclusion of two districts last year and two this year, the number of self help groups (SHGs) would go up to 5,000 having 75,000 farmers from the present 2,600 with 46,000 farmers.

The vegetable production will increase to three lakh tonnes in the next two years from 1,04,352 tonnes from 6,522 hectares last fiscal. Fruits production will also treble from 1,11,815 tonnes from 5,885 hectares.

Mr Thekkan said that the yield per hectare of vegetables was less at 15 tonne/ha against 25-30 tonnes overseas while that of banana was 18 tonne compared to 30 - 35 tonnes overseas. As a result, cost of production is high, and to compete in the foreign markets productivity has to be increased.

Mr Thekkan said promoting exports subsidy was essential. The council has already earmarked Rs 1 crore for supporting the exporters of vegetables and fruits, he said.

The VFPCK, which has secured the import export code and registration from Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), has been exporting 20 tonnes of vegetables to each of the Gulf countries through various agencies. Now the council is equipped to export directly and will raise exports by 25 per cent this financial year, Mr Thekkan said.

Pineapple is in great demand in the Gulf. Among vegetables, demand for little gourd, ash gourd, bitter gourd, snake gourd, drumstick, curry leaf and green banana has increased in the Gulf because of the large number of non-resident Keralites, he said.

Having successfully exported 10 tonnes of mangoes this year, the VFPCK has decided to lease 1,000 hectares of land to grow the Alphonse variety for export, he said.

The council's aims to improve the livelihood of vegetable and fruit growers in the State by empowering them to carry out production, value addition and marketing of their productsin a sustainable way, he said.

The core aim of the council is to form and promote SHGs and voluntary units of 15-20 cultivating farmers. Each group functions according to a set of mutually agreed norms.

The project's interventions are aimed at improving the SHG's problem solving ability, he said. Each group selects three master farmers (MF) who lead the groups in production, credit and marketing. "They are easily accessible to all SHG members and provide timely and location-specific advice. They are also equipped with necessary skills to act as trainers in the SHGs," Mr Thekkan said.

Members of the SHGs contribute capital, and form a bulking centre where they pool their produce. Large volumes attract traders to the centre. A management committee consisting of the marketing master farmers from participating SHGs negotiate with the traders for better prices.

A commission of 6 to 7 per cent is retained, and is used to pay for overheads and generate an annual bonus. Farmers also benefit from reduced transportation and handling costs, proper grading and weighing and timely payment, he pointed out.

With increased volume and effective management system, the bulking centres are upgraded as field marketing centres. Many of these centres obtain legal registration as Swasraya Karshaka Samithi (SKS). Thus, the VFPCK has managed to eliminate middlemen from this business and the farmers are assured of better prices.

"In this system, the farmers fix the price and the traders come to the producer, contrary to the usual practice," he said.

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