Rs 500 crore earmarked for Agro parks

Thiruvananthapurm: The state government Friday said it has earmarked Rs 500 crore to set up agro parks in the state in the current financial year.

Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar during the question hour in the assembly said that government planned to set up paddy related agri parks in Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Palakkad districts.

Detailing government plans to expand paddy cultivation in the state, he said efforts are on to bring nearly 2.15 lakh more hectares under rice cultivation. Besides this, Rs 500 crore has been set apart to ensure price stabilisation of agriculture products for the current fiscal.

The minister said a mobile food testing facility would be commissioned this year as it had been brought to the government's notice that dangerous chemicals were being used in vegetables brought from neighbouring states.

Government also planned to set up a centre of excellence to propagate the advantages of high-tech farming in vegetables and flowers under a scheme of the Indo-Dutch Action plan.

He said after the LDF government came to power, an amount of Rs 151.45 crore of the total of 191.51 crore arrears to be paid to more than 3.55 lakh farmers on account of pension, had been disbursed.