DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

INTRODUCTION

ORGANISATIONAL SETUP

SERVICES

• Farms
• Price list of seeds
• Quality control
• Parasite breeding stations
• State bio-control laboratory
  

CHARTS

• Directorate of Agriculture
• District level office
  

The Department of Agriculture in Kerala came into existence in 1956. It is one of the major development departments in the State and undertakes formulation and implementation of various programmes in such areas as
1. Crop production
2. Infrastructure development
3. Planting material production and distribution
4. Quality control of agricultural inputs
5. Farm mechanization
6. Transfer of Technology
7. Agricultural marketing
8. Crop damage relief
9. Women development

The programmes are envisaged

• To promote better land and water management.
• To improve production of high yielding varieties /hybrid seeds
• To increase the area under cultivation with HYV, replanting/rehabilitation of old and uneconomic perennial crops with suitable HYV
• To promote adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices
• To develop the necessary infrastructure facilities and to encourage adoption of new marketing techniques to reduce post-harvest losses
• To improve the quality of the produces
  
  Adoption of biotechnology approaches, utilisation of information Technology in the field of agriculture, organic farming, plasticulture and innovative approaches in farm mechanization are also envisaged.
  
  The important crops of the state considered for improving production and productivity during the year 2003-04 are
  
  1. Rice
  2. Pepper
  3. Ginger
  4. Turmeric and other Spices
  5. Cashew
  6. Banana and other fruits
  7. Vegetables
  8. Floriculture
  9. Medicinal and aromatic plants
  
  Linkages with Panchayatiraj institutions, other state and central agencies, co-operative institutions, farmers organizations, input agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations and self help groups (SHG) in the field of Agriculture are designed for proper implementation of the programmes.

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The Department functions under the Ministry of Agriculture in Government of Kerala with Agricultural Production Commissioner as the chief functionary followed by Secretary (Agriculture)

THE DIRECTORATE
The Director of Agriculture is the Head of the Department with the Directorate at Vikas bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram.

ADDITIONAL DIRECTORS

1. Additional DA (Planning)

• Formulation of Five-year plan, Annual plan and Budget estimation under plan.
• Reports for Steering Committee and task Force under Agriculture Sector.
• State level coordination of IRDP, Storage and Warehousing
• Claiming of Central Assistance.
• Correspondence and co-ordination work with various central govt. Directorates like Cocoa, Arecanut and Spices development, Coconut Dev. Board, Spices Board, and National Horticultural Board etc.
• Reports for Collector's and MP's conference.
• Contingency crop planning, NABARD schemes, Agriculture credit linked schemes.
• Legislative Assembly Interpolation, notes relating Agriculture Department for the Chief Ministers review meeting, Monthly APC's meeting and consolidation of Plan Progress.
• Monitoring and evaluation of implementation of plan schemes.
• Follow up action on Legislative assurance.
  

2. Additional DA (Crop production)

• Special Employment Program, Training for youth farmers, Farm production plan progress, Distribution and scrutiny of applications
• Promotion of group farming, Free Supply of Electricity, High yield variety program, Seed Testing laboratory.
• Development of Coconut and Areca nut, Coconut Root wilt survey, Financial Assistance for cut and removal of diseased coconut trees
• Development of pulses, Technology Mission on Oil Seeds, Land development under small and marginal farmers schemes, Development of Tubers, Betel vines.
• Plant Protection schemes, Mobile Agro clinic, Pest surveillance unit, State bio control laboratory, weed control.
• Purchase and sale of plant protection chemicals and equipments
• Fertilizer subsidy schemes, Fixing of MRP and other subjects related to fertilizers, soil and plant health clinic, INM schemes, bio fertilizers, strengthening of fertilizer, pesticide bio fertilizer and soil testing labs.
• Issue of Plant Protection chemicals, license and renewal, pesticide sample analysis and action against firms.
• Fertilizer sample analysis, analysis of imported fertilizers, quality control of fertilizers.
• Work relating to Natural Calamities, Implementation of relief program, Allotment of funds.
• Crop Insurance and related matters.
• Meteorology reports compilation, periodicals and bulletins.

3. Additional Director (Hort & Extn)

Training program under Kerala Agriculture University, CPCRI CTCRI SIRD, IMG and other training institutions inside and outside the state.

• Matters related to AIR, Doordharsan, Training of farmers under entire schemes.
• Admission to MSc and BSc (Agri) courses for in-service candidates
• Adoption Research, Training on mushroom, tissue culture.
• Development of Cocoa, fruits, floriculture in selected locations
• NHB projects for Nutritional gardens in rural areas, commercial floriculture.
• Integrated program for development of Spices, Technology mission on Pepper, mushroom cultivation.
• Hi-tech innovative in Agriculture, macro management in development of ginger and turmeric.
• Work journals of Principal Agriculture officers, public participation, Agriculture extension, Purchase consultancy
• Complaints and petitions in vegetable program, vegetable seed production, organizing onam vegetable fare throughout the state.

4. Additional Director (South Zone) & Director of Marketing

• Marketing schemes, training programs, marketing allied matters
• State Agmark Grading Lab
• Export trade
• Storage and warehousing
• EEC markets

5. Additional Director (North Zone & Bio Gas)

• All establishment matters of district farms, state farms, special farms.
• Development of fruits, Approved nursery, Coconut nursery, production and distribution of coconut seedlings.
• National Biogas Development Program, training, inspection, communications to ANERT, Khadi Commission and Khadi Board, registration of agencies etc.
  

6. Additional DA (KIP)

7. Engineering Division

The state agricultural engineer heads the engineering wing under the Director

ENGINEERING OFFICES

8. CELLS AND PROJECTS

Following cells have been constituted at directorate for state level coordination of the respective activity.

1. IT cell
2. Floriculture cell
3. WTO cell
4. Women in Agriculture Cell
5. Vegetable Cell
6. Biotechnology Cell
7. Organic farming Cell
8. KISSAN PROJECT
9. AEZ PROJECT

There are 14 District Offices headed by Principal Agricultural Officer (JDA), with their office in District headquarters.

Deputy Directors act as nodal officers for 2-3 blocks of a district.

In a block Assistant Director of Agriculture is the supervisory as well as coordinating agency of Krishibhavans, in addition it is the implementing authority of block level local self-government for agriculture projects.

Krishibhavans in every panchayat is the grass-root level office headed by the Agricultural Officer. There are 1046 Krishibhavans in the State. 2-3 Agricultural Assistants assist the Agricultural Officer. The activities of the Department are spearheaded and co-ordinated by the Agricultural Officer in his jurisdiction. Krishibhavans have a lead role in planning, formulation, and implementation of agriculture projects of local self-government.

DETAILS OF DEPARTMENTAL FARMS OF KERALA

PRICE LIST OF SEEDS (As per TH (3) 35698/2001 dt. 23.7.2001)

PRICE LIST OF PLANTING MATERIALS (As per TH (3) 35698/2001 dt.23.7.2001)

a) Thiruvananthapuram
b) Pattambi, Palakkad

SEED TESTING LABS

SOIL TESTING LABS

AGMARK GRADING LABORATORIES

FARMERS TRAINING CENTRES

MOBILE AGRO CLINICS (District level)

There are nine parasite breeding stations operating in the state for the mass multiplication and release of biocontrol agents effective against coconut leaf eating caterpillar (Opisinia arenosella). They are situated in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alapuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Kasargod. Bio control agents mass multiplied are Bracon brevicornis, Perisiovola nephantidis and Elasmus nephantidis.

The stations are

BIO-TECHNOLOGY AND MODEL FLORICULTURE CENTRE
The bio-technology and Model Floriculture Centre, Kazhakuttam functioning under the Department of Agriculture is situated 18 km. North of Trivandrum City. The Tissue culture Laboratory is well equipped and has a production capacity of 10 lakhs plantlets per year. The Centre carries out the micro propagation work in Banana, Orchids, Anthuriums and Pepper Crop improvement work in Orchids, Anthuriums and Hibiscus is also in progress.

State Biocontrol Laboratory, Thrissur
The State Biocontrol Laboratory was established at Mannuthy, Thrissur during ninth five year plan period, utilising grant-in-aid of Rs 50 lakhs from government of India and it started functioning from April 2000. Mass rearing and distribution of biocontrol agents suited for pests of major crops of Kerala is the mandate of the laboratory. Release of biocontrol agents help in the increase of population of natural enemies in the field ecosystem, there by strengthening the natural mechanism of pest control, which is a major objective under Integrated pest management system. The Bio control Laboratory, Mannuthy is manned by a team of experts headed by a Deputy Director of Agriculture.
The laboratory has the mass culturing techniques for the following biocontrol agents

1. Trichoderma viride- an antagonistic fungus effective in the control of quick wilt of pepper, soft rot of ginger, damping off/collar of vegetable, capsule rot of cardamom. Available as talc based formulation.
2. Pseudomonas flurescens- a bacteria which is effective in the control of major diseases of paddy such as blast, sheath blight, brown spot etc. Available as talc based formulations.
3. Trichogramma spp-a biocontrol agent belonging to wasp group, which is effective in the control of stem borer and leaf roller pests of paddy. Available as "Trichocard" which contain parasitised eggs pasted on them.
4. Cryptolaemma montrouzeiri predatory coccinellid lady bird beetle that predates on soft bodied insects
5. Rhinochoris marginatus: This is a predatory bug.
6. Chrysoperla carnea: Predatory lacewing bug, which controls aphids also called aphid lion.
7. Fusaruium pallidoroseium-an entomo-pathogenic fungus that causes fatal disease to insect pests
8. Nuclear polyhedrosis Virus (NPV)-This is a pathogenic virus, which is used for the control of lepidopteron pests (moths) of crops such as Spodoptera litura, Helicoverpa armigera.
   The experts of the SBCL have refined the mass culturing techniques of the above biocontrol agents in a cost effective manner, which is a major achievement. At present the unit is engaged in the mass production and distribution of the following bio control agents.
   

OPERATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT (PEST SURVEILLANCE UNIT)

The Pest Surveillance Unit under the Department of Agriculture at Moncompu in Alappuzha district is functioning with the aim of making aware the farmers on need based plant protected activities. This Unit undertakes pest and disease surveillance in paddy fields by adopting scientific techniques such as Light Trap Survey, Fixed plot survey and Rapid Rowing Survey.

REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

SOIL CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT

The soil conservation department is headed by the Additional Director (Soil Conservation) under the Director of Agriculture. There are 14 District offices headed by the District Soil Conservation Officer(Assistant Director/Assistant Ex-Engineer). Land development and soil conservation are the main responsibilities of the Department.

SOIL SURVEY DEPARTMENT

The soil survey department is headed by the Additional Director (Soil Survey) under the Director of Agriculture.

Not Available now.