Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on October 27, 2020 announced the base price for 16 agricultural items, including vegetables, fruits, and tubers.
- The state government has termed this a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.
- 16 agricultural produce would be covered in the first phase.
- Crops such as tapioca, ‘nendran’ plantain, pineapple, bitter gourd, cucumber, snake gourd, tomato, cabbage, and beans that were produced in the State had been included in the base price, which would be 20% above the production cost of the vegetable.
- If the market price dipped below the base price of a vegetable, the produce would be procured at the base price and the money transferred to farmers’ accounts. The produce would be graded on quality, and the base price fixed on that basis. There was also a provision to revise the base price regularly,
- Local self-government institutions would coordinate the procurement and distribution of vegetables.
- The scheme, designed to protect farmers from adverse price fluctuations, would come into effect from November 1, 2020.
- As per the State Government, the base price would provide relief and support to both traditional farmers and those newly farming the land.
- The scheme would benefit a farmer with cultivation on a maximum of 15 acres in a season.
- Farmers would have to register on the Agriculture Department’s registration portal after insuring the crop to get the benefit of the base price.
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