Thiruvananthapuram: With the prices of vegetables skyrocketing in the open market with onset of Onam season, the Onam-Ramzan fair of the Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation (Horticorp) on the Institute of Engineers premises is drawing huge crowds. The total sales on Saturday alone crossed the Rs 60,000-mark. To meet the high demand of vegetables during the period, Horticorp is directly procuring vegetables from farmers. Meat Products of India (MPI) and Kerala State Poultry Development Corporation Ltd (Kepco) also have started their stalls at the fair.
“We are currently procuring 51 varieties of vegetables from farmers which would be supplied at a subsidised rate to the public. The price we offer to farmers is 10 per cent more than the wholesale rate. In turn, it is sold with a subsidy of 30 per cent to the public,’’ said Manoj Kurup, director, Horticorp. He said it is a challenging task to ensure that vegetable supplies are sufficient and their prices remain well under control during the festival season.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Horticorp is selling vegetables that have been procured from Idukki, Palakkad and Ernakulam districts. The cool season vegetables grown in Vattavada and Kanthallur in Idukki district and Nemmara, Ayiloor, Kollengode and Elavanchery panchayats in Palakkad district are finding their way to the State capital through Horticorp, which also procures vegetables from Kolenchery and Thiruvaniyoor panchyats in Ernakulam district.
Other than the Onam-Ramzan fair, the Horticorp outlets in the district are also witnessing good sales. At present, the state-run agency has 98 stationary outlets across Kerala, of which 58 are in Thiruvananthapuram.
Comments
0 comment