No pesticides on platter: How Kerala celebrated ‘organic’ Onam

Various co-operatives also supported the cultivation drive adding to the pool of locally-sourced vegetables.

The supply of home-grown, pesticide-free vegetables was the highlight of Kerala’s Onam festival season, which ended Sunday. Political parties, co-operatives, self-help groups and resident associations joined the movement for increasing the domestic supply of vegetables after the state authorities found that the provisions supplied from other states contained pesticides several times higher than the permissible level.

Kerala — which normally depended on neighbouring states for its daily supply — also raised alarm against supply of vegetables and fruits from Tamil Nadu.

Among political parties, the CPM took the lead in producing pesticide-free vegetables. The party opened 1,025 vegetable markets across Kerala under its various local committees. Ernakulam district alone, where the CPM local committees took up farming in a big way, had 164 vegetable markets, with produce sourced from party-managed farm.

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According to CPM’s Ernakulam district secretary P Rajiv, these markets in the district collected 800 tonnes of vegetables for the sale. Besides, various co-operatives also supported the cultivation drive adding to the pool of locally-sourced vegetables.

While the CPM had taken on lease 2,000 acre to promote organic farming, Congress also ventured into organic cultivation of essential vegetables under the self-help groups promoted by Janasree Mission, a Congress-backed venture. CPI’s Kissan Sabha deployed 20-odd farmers groups for organic cultivation in Thrissur.

Health Minister V S Shivakumar said due to food safety department’s vigil, even suppliers from Tamil Nadu were forced to comply with quality provisions. He added that the health department in Tamil Nadu was now issuing certificates for traders who supply fruits and vegetables to Kerala.

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