The Kudumbashree has registered a sales turnover of ₹23.09 crore from the Onam markets and fairs held across the State.
This is ₹4 crore more than the sales turnover of ₹19 crore last Onam.
The Kudumbashree had organised 1,087 Onam markets and fairs in the State. These were held at the State, district, and Kudumbashree community development society (CDS) level.
Ernakulam district that had total sales of ₹3.25 crore was in first position. As many as 2,995 microenterprise units and 1,728 farm joint liability groups (JLGs) participated in the 102 Onam markets and two distict-level Onam fairs in Ernakulam.
Besides Ernakulam, Malappuram and Thrissur organised the most melas – 109 and 102, respectively.
Minister for Local Self-government M.B. Rajesh who congratulated the Kudumbashree mission on its achievement said it had played a significant role in the government’s market interventions to check price rise.
Local self-government institutions too had extended good support to the Kudumbashree Onam markets. Products made by the mission’s 20,990 self-help groups and 28,401 microenterprises were sold at the fair.
Sale of flowers cultivated by Kudumbashree JLGs were a highlight of the Kudumbashree fairs this year. Flower cultivation would be expanded across the State for the next Onam, the Minister said. Besides this, steps were under way to cultivate vegetables on a large scale under the Kudumbashree umbrella. The government, the Minister said, was working to make the Kudumbashree an integral part of the market.
Kudumbashree had made a big achievement in the area of floriculture. While flowers for Onam would usually come from across the State borders, Kudumbashree was able to make its presence felt in the market this year. As many as 1,819 Kudumbashree JLGs grew flowers in 780 acres this year. This was 128 acres last year. Floriculture started with an eye on the Onam market was successful across the State. Thrissur where 100 farm groups cultivated flowers on 186.37 acres saw maximum production. Kudumbashree’s Onam fairs too had stalls selling flowers.
Kudumbashree had made available unadulterated, quality products at reasonable rates at the fairs. These included foodgrain powder, eatables, and farm produce. Food court, cultural programmes, and contests too were held at various places in connection with the fairs.
The Kudumbashree provides ₹1 lakh to organise the district-level fairs, ₹15,000 for those at the urban CDS level, and ₹12,000 for the rural CDSs.
Local self-government institutions were also allowed to sanction an amount up to ₹1 lakh from their own funds for the Onam fairs.
