Kerala is embarking on an ambitious journey to revitalize its agricultural sector, with a groundbreaking ‘Vision 2031’ plan set to generate a remarkable five lakh new job opportunities. Agriculture Minister P. Prasad proudly unveiled this forward-thinking document at the recent Vision 2031 Agricultural Seminar in Alappuzha, outlining a clear path towards a modern, sustainable, and truly self-reliant farming landscape for the state.
This transformative plan includes several key initiatives: aiming to generate ₹10,000 crore in international business from Kerala’s agricultural products, launching a ₹1,000-crore 10-year project (supported by NABARD) dedicated to mitigating human-wildlife conflicts, providing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and advanced technology training to 10,000 young people in agriculture, and establishing functional farms in 1,000 schools across Kerala.
The ‘Vision 2031′ document is driven by core objectives: championing climate-resilient farming practices, accelerating secondary agricultural development, striving to double farmers’ incomes, and achieving complete self-sufficiency in food production. The department has articulated bold targets, including freeing Kerala from barren lands, empowering one lakh farmers to earn ₹1 lakh per month, introducing 10,000 unique ‘Keralagro’ products to the market, facilitating participation in 50 international business meets under KABCO, expanding the ‘Krishi Samriddhi’ initiative to 750 grama panchayats, and bringing one lakh hectares under cultivation through the ‘NAWO-DHAN’ program.
During the inauguration of the State-level Vision 2031 Agricultural Seminar, Mr. Prasad highlighted an impressive achievement: according to a Kerala State Economics and Statistics department report, the agriculture sector recorded a robust 4.65% growth in the 2023–24 fiscal year. This figure represents the highest growth in the past decade for Kerala, significantly outpacing the all-India average of just 2.1% during the same period. The Minister attributed this remarkable performance to increased production and productivity, a strategic focus on value-added products, and a stronger secondary agriculture sector.
Further elaborating on departmental efforts, Mr. Prasad mentioned the successful ‘Njangalum Krishiyileke’ project, which has led to the formation of 23,568 farming groups. Acknowledging the critical challenge of crop damage from wild animals, he assured that the Agriculture department now offers compensation for such losses. Additionally, a sum of ₹3 crore from the State Plan fund has been specifically allocated to enhance farmland protection measures.
The ‘One Krishi Bhavan, One Value-Added Product’ initiative has seen the development of 4,000 products, with 1,000 of these now consolidated under the distinct ‘Keralagro’ brand. To bolster the value-added sector and ensure wider reach, ‘Keralagro’-branded showrooms have been successfully launched in every district across the state.
The seminar concluded with contributions from notable attendees, including H. Salam, MLA, who presided over the event, and P.P. Chitharanjan, MLA, alongside Alappuzha District Panchayat president K.G. Rajeshwari.