UPPER PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS HARVEST VEGETABLES FROM THEIR SCHOOL

UPPER PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS HARVEST VEGETABLES FROM THEIR SCHOOL

It will be a feast of pride this Onam for students of most government schools.The eco-club members of most schools are ready to harvest the vegetables grown by them in the school vegetable gardens.In many schools, preparations began early so that the bounty was ready in time for a sumptuous ‘Onasadya.’Students of Government Model Upper Primary School, Kumarapuram, started work on their vegetable garden well in advance so as to reap the harvest during Onam. They plan to organise an Onam feast for the students and their parents using the vegetables from their school garden.Students of St. Thomas Central School, Mukkolakkal, grew flowering plants, besides vegetables. As many as 5,000 seedlings of African marigolds were brought from Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy, Thrissur. Locally grown flowers were cultivated along with the marigolds on 20 cents of land inside the school compound.

A comprehensive project of the Department of Agriculture for promoting vegetable cultivation, which was launched recently, has been welcomed in many schools. Be it Holy Angels’ Convent School, Vanchiyoor, where the project was first launched, or Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Senior Secondary School, Kodunganoor, the latest school to join the initiative, the students have actively participated in the scheme.Under the scheme, which aims at promoting vegetable farming in the State with the twin aims of self-sufficiency and self-sustenance, seeds of different types of vegetables are distributed among the students for cultivation at home.“Nearly 1,250 schools have been listed for the scheme. Of these, we have covered 800 schools. Another 200 schools have been selected to start vegetable cultivation in their school compound,” N. Vijayan, Additional Director, Department of Agriculture, said.Under the initiative of Agri-friends, a community of agriculture enthusiasts, an interactive session with Saraswathy Varma, who has a collection of more than 50 varieties of flowers in her home garden, is being organised.A meet with Kavalam Narayana Panicker, theatre person, will be held as part of the Onam celebrations on August 25, S. Jayakumar, coordinator of Agri-friends, said. Onam celebrations, school eco clubs, Kerala schools

Prof. John Kurakar