Encouraging Kitchen Gardening For improving the crop productivity and efficiency in the value chains of horticulture crops, the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) has been assisting the farmers under various programmes like production of hybrid seeds, production of quality planting material, promotion of integrated nutrient management and integrated pest management, micro irrigation, protected cultivation, organic farming, post harvest management etc. The Vegetable Initiative for Urban Cluster (VIUC) under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) which was launched in 2011-12 encouraged kitchen gardening as well as organic farming in urban and peri-urban areas. Under this scheme, extensive training programmes were also imparted to city dwellers giving thrust to organic farming and promotion of vegetable cultivation. The Government of Kerala has submitted a project on Open Cultivation of Vegetables during 2015-16 to the MIDH which has been sanctioned. This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture Sh. Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundaria in Rajya Sabha today. SS/CP/kitchen
