Kitchen kits a hit in Kisan Melas

After sale of 30,000 packets of these kits in last year’s Kisan Melas, this year PAU has kept the target as 50,000.

With sky rocketing prices of vegetables year after year, kitchen garden kits developed by PAU are becoming a hit among farmers as well as the general public. After sale of 30,000 packets of these kits in last year’s Kisan Melas, this year PAU has kept the target as 50,000. So far in five kisan melas, PAU has sold out nearly 25,000 such kits, each costing Rs 120 and the rest they aim to sell in the remaining two Kisan melas, at seed shops and also at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) located across the state.

In the recent Kisan mela held at Faridkot, farmers mostly asked for wheat variety WH-1105 and its entire stock of 20,000 kgs was sold out, however, the second most sought after item was vegetable kits for which farmers and general public were seen thronging the stalls. The mela was for five districts —Moga, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot and Muktsar.

Dr Rajinder Singh from seeds department, PAU said, “As vegetables are going out of budget for the common man, vegetable kits are being sought after. We started this project two years back with a price of Rs 70 per kit. Last year its price was Rs 100 and this year it has been increased to Rs 120. It contains nine winter vegetables -peas, methi, turnip, carrot, radish, cauliflower, cabbage etc.”

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Dr Pankaj Rathore, director PAU regional station Faridkot said, “We sold out nearly 1,200 kits in the recent Kisan Mela in Faridkot. People often come to us seeking guidance as how to grow vegetables in their kitchen and even in their flower pots.”

Experts believe that the ones who have small land holdings can save their kitchen budget up to a great extent by growing vegetables at home as they can get fresh supply supervised by the owner himself or herself.