Thiruvananthapuram | The World Bank has backed Keralam's proposal to set up a carbon cell under the state Agriculture Department to help farmers earn carbon credits through climate-friendly farming practices, Agriculture Minister T Siddique has said.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting between the minister and a World Bank mission visiting Keralam to review the implementation of the KERA project, according to a statement issued by his office.
The World Bank and the state government will undertake joint efforts in the coming months to set up the carbon cell, Siddique said.
The minister said the carbon credit mechanism should provide financial incentives to farmers adopting climate-friendly farming practices, while enhancing carbon sequestration in the agricultural sector and creating an additional source of income for them.
He also called for strengthening measures under KERA to improve the climate resilience of the agricultural sector.
The KERA project, being implemented with World Bank assistance, will provide Rs 2,365 crore for Keralam's agriculture sector, the statement said.
The Kerala Climate Resilient Agri-Value Chain Modernisation (KERA) Project is a flagship initiative of the Government of Keralam, implemented with the financial and technical support of the World Bank.
Designed to transform the agricultural landscape of Keralam, KERA addresses the mounting challenges posed by climate change, fragmented markets, and inefficient value chains, especially affecting small and marginal farmers.
The meeting decided to take steps to ensure more efficient and accelerated utilisation of funds allocated to the project during the remaining months of the current financial year.
Describing KERA as a major joint initiative of the Agriculture Department and the World Bank, Siddique said the project offered significant scope for the comprehensive transformation of Keralam's agricultural sector.
He called for greater focus under the project on developing coconut cultivation and improving productivity, strengthening agricultural marketing, empowering farmer producer organisations and expanding their businesses, and developing value chains for high-value crops.
The minister also stressed the need for more smart Krishi Bhavans, complete digitisation of the Agriculture Department, comprehensive development of the Kathir portal, and measures to improve the resilience of the farm sector to climate change and natural disasters.
The meeting, held here on Wednesday, also discussed the potential of mango cultivation in Muthalamada, high-tech vegetable farming in Elavanchery and avocado cultivation in Wayanad.
Siddique briefed the World Bank mission on steps being taken by the government to tackle the impact of climate change, including the El Nino phenomenon.
He said comprehensive interventions to improve coconut productivity in Keralam should be included in the KERA project and suggested that the project take up additional measures after reviewing the schemes currently being implemented by the Agriculture Department and the Coconut Development Board.
Challenges faced by the agricultural sector during the monsoon and summer seasons and the risks posed by natural disasters were also discussed.
The minister said the government was making extensive preparations at the departmental and local self-government levels to deal with disasters.
He called for a comprehensive assessment of Keralam's agricultural sector and incorporation of necessary changes and new interventions into the KERA project, besides coordinating all relevant institutions for its effective implementation.
The World Bank mission will remain in Keralam till October 13 and visit various locations where the KERA project is being implemented to assess its progress, the statement said.
World Bank representatives Adarsh and Charulatha Sharma, Agriculture Production Commissioner and concerned state government officials attended the meeting, it added.
