Thiruvananthapuram: Kudumbashree’s women farmers have recorded a turnover of Rs 10.07 crore through the sale of vegetables and flowers produced under its Onam-season agricultural initiatives, providing a major boost to local farming and women-led enterprises across state.The turnover was generated through more than 2,000 Onam markets organised by Kudumbashree across the state from Aug 20 to 25. Thrissur topped the districts with sales worth Rs 2.85 crore, followed by Palakkad with Rs 1.62 crore and Kannur with Rs 85.50 lakh.Under the ‘Onakkani’ agricultural initiative, more than 33,000 women farmer groups brought 1,580.88 metric tonnes of locally produced vegetables to the Onam market. The vegetable sales generated a turnover of Rs 8.91 crore.The ‘Nirapolima’ initiative, aimed at promoting domestic flower cultivation and marketing, also recorded significant sales. Around 5,500 women farmer groups cultivated and marketed 113.17 metric tonnes of flowers, generating a turnover of Rs 1.16 crore.The entire revenue from the sale of the agricultural produce will go to the farmers, Kudumbashree said. In addition to the sales through Kudumbashree’s Onam markets, women farmers also sold their produce through local markets, generating additional income.The strong performance during the Onam season has once again highlighted the growing role of Kudumbashree’s women farmers in Kerala’s agricultural and local marketing ecosystem. The initiatives not only provided farmers with assured markets but also enabled consumers to access locally grown vegetables and flowers.Kudumbashree’s intervention also helped strengthen the availability of local agricultural produce during the peak Onam demand period and contributed to efforts to check price escalation in the open market.The agricultural programmes have provided women farmers with a direct platform to market their produce while creating an additional source of income for farming households. The latest figures, Kudumbashree officials said, demonstrate the scale of women’s participation in agricultural production and the potential of organised local marketing networks to improve returns to farmers.
