Keralam’s Agriculture dept. to step up market intervention during festival seasons, says Minister

The Agriculture department will step up market interventions to prevent artificial price rise and curb the exploitation of farmers and consumers by middlemen during festival seasons and the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, Agriculture Minister T. Siddique has said.Addressing the media in Kozhikode on Friday (August 28, 2026), Mr. Siddique said the Onasamrudhi farmers’ markets had facilitated efficient marketing of farm produce through a fully digital system. The Kathir app had played a key role in streamlining the process, he said.Horticorp had cleared payments to farmers for the produce procured from them, except for ₹3.09 lakh due to 202 farmers who faced technical issues. The pending amount would be credited to their accounts within a week, the Minister said.Over two lakh tonnes of produce procured from farmers were distributed through 2,000 farmers’ markets. Vegetables with a market value of ₹14.25 crore were supplied to 2,94,785 consumers, benefiting 14,212 farmers.As part of World Coconut Day, the State government will organise Keralolsavam at Vazhuthacaud in Thiruvananthapuram on September 2. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will inaugurate the event. Mr. Siddique said a stakeholders’ meeting involving agencies associated with the coconut sector would also be held as part of the event. A comprehensive coconut revival project would be prepared with the aim of restoring Keralam’s position as a leading coconut producing State, he added.The Minister said he had held discussions with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on various agricultural projects, including a coconut park at Kuttiady in Kozhikode. Further steps would be taken to implement the proposals, he added. Published - August 28, 2026 08:34 pm IST