EXTERNAL AIDED PROJECTS
1.Development of pest surveillance based crop advisory for Plant Health Management (2014-16) – under the Crop Health Management Project
Funded by the Dept. of Agriculture, Kerala and coordinated by Kerala State Planning Board with a budget provision of Rs.6 lakhs.
(i) Preparation of technical leaflets: Prepared seven leaflets on pests and five leaflets on diseases of coconut for the use of pest scouts and for the awareness creation to coconut farmers and capacity building of extension officials of the district.
(ii) Capacity building programmes:
(i) Conducted four trainings for 19 pest scouts of the CHM Scheme from different blocks of Alappuzha district on Pest and disease surveillance of banana, vegetables, and coconut.
(ii) Conducted three trainings for master farmers of the CHM Scheme in Alappuzha district on Use of bio agents and Pest and disease surveillance of coconut, vegetables and banana in which a total of 196 farmers participated.
(iii) Field Demonstrations on crop health management technologies are taken up at various locations as below:
| Sl.No | Technology | No: of demos | Panchayath |
| 1 | Cue lure traps against fruit flies in cucurbits | 5 | Venmony, Haripad,Budhanoor |
| 2 | Cow pea fungal disease management using bioagents | 2 | Venmony |
| 3 | Banana pseudostem weevil management using botanicals (Nanma and Menma from CTCRI) | 2 | Thazhakkara |
2.Training cum awareness programme on Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers’ Right Act’
KVK in association with ATMA Alappuzha conducted a training-cum-awareness programme on Protection of plant varieties and farmers’ rights act at Sreemoolam Town Hall, Ambalappuzha on 07.02.2015. The programme was funded by Protection of Plant Varieties and farmers Right’s Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India. Dr. S. Rajeena, Head, Farming System Research Station, Kottarakkara, KAU, delivered a lecture on ‘PPVFR Act and farmers’ rights’ and Dr. Reji Jacob Thomas, Senior Scientist, CPCRI delivered a lecture on ‘Guidelines for registration of farmer varieties and community genome savier awards’. Sri. Thomas, Secretary, Kadamakkudi – Varappuzha Pokkali organic farmers ICS was facilitated in the meeting and he narrated the experience of his community receiving the award. About 100 selected farmers from different parts of the district attended the programme. Display of farmers’ varieties was also arranged in the exhibition on the day.
3.Value Chain in Turmeric
KVK-Alappuzha, had taken up a series of activities like On farm Testings (OFTs), Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs) and training programmes to promote the cultivation of turmeric in the district. As an extension, Onattukkara Spices Farmer Producer Company (OSFPC), a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) with grant support from NABARD is also promoted by the KVK for spice farmers. Considering the experiences in technology interventions in this field and effectiveness of the interventions, NABARD has sanctioned a new project on ‘Value Chain in Turmeric’ with a financial outlay of Rs. 20 lakhs for implemention in 10 panchayats of Mavelikkara and Chengannur blocks with the support of line departments. A total 250 farmers will be covered in the project. Popularisation of high yielding turmeric variety IISR Prathibha, scientific cultivation practices, procurement and processing of turmeric, branding and marketing are the activities envisaged in the project to be to be taken up through registered farmer groups. During 2020-2021, activities were initiated in 4 panchayaths viz; Thekkekkara, Venmony, Mannar and Puliyoor with 100 partner farmers.
