ICAR – KVK- Alappuzha celebrated World Environment day on 05th June, 2024 initiating the planting of 1000 perennial (fruit) plants in selected 200 farmers’ fields to mark the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Year of KVKs. Sri. K.C. Chandramohanan, a renowned environmentalist inaugurated the programme by planting a Jack fruit plant in the KVK campus in the presence of staff members and 50 farmers from different parts of the district who have made significant achievements in farming through collaboration with the KVK. It was followed by the simultaneous planting of 50 plants by the invited farmers in the KVK farm. In the meeting followed, the chief guest elaborated on the theme of the environment day for this year “Restoration of land degradation and prevention of desertification and drought”. He also handed over 5 different fruit trees to Smt. Sarojini Amma, an old but enthusiastic farmer from Chettikulangara. Dr. P. Muralidharan, Head, KVK in his presidential address highlighted the environmental issues faced by the farmers and humanity at large and the need of sensitization of the young generation for their proactive approach. Dr. Regi Jacob Thomas, Head, ICAR-CPCRI, RS, Kayamkulam in his felicitation address expressed concerns over the fluctuating climate and global warming and necessity of deliberate interventions from people of all walks of life.
‘Fellow farmer’ certificates to the farmers, whose success stories were documented earlier by the KVK and published by the ICAR, were distributed on the occasion. All the 50 invited farmers were given away five tree (fruit) plants each for planting in their homesteads. Brush cutters under the SCSP programme were handed over to two farmer groups monitored by the Onattukara Spices Farmer Producer Company (OSFPC) promoted by the KVK. Coordinators of the programme Smt. G. Lekha, Dr. K. Sajnanath, and Smt. P.V. Bijila of the KVK also addressed the gathering.
