To help small-time farmers sell their produce directly in the market, Kerala government is opening 60 retail outlets exclusively to sell the farm products. These premium outlets will market organic farm products and those cultivated complying to good agricultural practices.
Officials said the retail outlets under the “Agriculture Based Production Project” have been conceived to make marketing of agricultural produce more efficient. The government will offer necessary support to the functioning of these outlets. Six premium retail outlets will come up in Ernakulam district as part of the project this financial year.
Apart from value added products, the outlets will sell fruits and vegetables produced following Good Agricultural Practices. Agricultural Producer Organisations formed under ‘Agriculture Based Production Scheme’, existing agricultural producer companies, voluntary organisations with three years experience of operating outlets, Kudumbashree units and residential associations can partner with the state government for starting the retail outlets.
“Apart from helping farmers, the project also aims at providing quality produce to the customers,” the officials said, adding that the agriculture department would bear 50 per cent of the cost (a maximum of Rs five lakh) for setting up each outlet.
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