Vegetables fairs begin in city

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Onam just around the corner, vegetables fairs opened across the city on Sunday in a bid to check price rise during the festival season and provide fruits and vegetables at an affordable price to the public. Three separate fairs - ‘Onakkazhcha’ - were opened at Thycaud, Pazhavangadi and on the University Stadium premises on Sunday. Organised respectively by the State Horticulture Mission, Horticorp and the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council, Kerala,  the fairs offer customers a 30 per cent subsidy on the produce. Transport Minister V S Sivakumar inaugurated the three fairs. He said that the state government, through the fairs, was offering the people fresh produce procured directly from farmers. The procured vegetables are then sold at a subsidy of 30 per cent.“The initiative is meant to provide natural vegetables to the public. The domestic farmers are  also benefited from this programme,’’ said  Dr K Prathapan, Director, State Horticulture Mission. Vegetables and bananas at the fairs have been procured from different parts of the state. Winter season vegetables like carrot, beetroot, potato, cabbage and beans produced at the high altitudes of Idukki are also lined up for sale here. Special jaggery manufactured by the Sugarcane Seed Farm at Pandalam is another attraction at the fairs. High quality pineapple produced from Vazhakulam has also found its way to the stalls. Vazhakulam pineapple is known for its taste and aroma. The Kerafed stall sells coconut oil at a rate which is Rs 5 less than the market price.  In addition to the vegetables, various products made from banana and vegetables, including pickles, banana wine and chips, are also available at the fairs.