THRISSUR (Kerala): The only way to have poison-free vegetables is to cultivate them in the backyards of homes, Thrissur Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath has said. Promoting homestead vegetable cultivation was the responsibility of every person in the State, he added. After visiting ‘Agrifiesta 2014′, an agricultural exhibition, the Archbishop said the technologies, machinery and implements developed by research institutions should reach farmers.
The exhibition has been organised by the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Union Ministry of Agricultural Cooperation, NABARD and the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
"The Thrissur archdiocese is encouraging kitchen gardens. All parishes, schools and other institutions under the archdiocese are promoting homestead cultivation. The archdiocese holds in each parish a competition in creating the best kitchen," he said.
He said the people of Kerala should realise that the only way to have poison-free vegetables was to cultivate them in their backyards. "The State should realise the objectives of the International Year of Family Farming," he added.
Homy Cherian, Director, Directorate of Arecanut and Spices, inaugurated a seminar on ‘Use of microorganisms in spice cultivation’.
As many as 300 farmers attended the seminar.
The participants were introduced to the benefits of using microorganisms and microbial inoculants for spice garden management. They were also given a practical demonstration on preparation of microbial inoculants.