• Kerala's agriculture minister, P Prasad, announced a goal to achieve complete local vegetable production by 2028-29, aiming to increase the current 17.21 lakh metric tonnes of domestic vegetable production to meet the state's annual demand of 20 lakh metric tonnes.
• This initiative involves a comprehensive vegetable production program incorporating both traditional and high-tech agricultural methods, including the introduction of 195 new hybrid varieties under the 'Kerala Grow' brand and the expansion of hybrid farming techniques by the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council-Kerala (VFPCK).
• In addition to boosting vegetable production, the state government is also focused on supporting rubber farmers through an incentive scheme, currently providing Rs 61.57 crore, and has actively engaged with the central government to increase rubber production incentives and promote the use of rubber in various applications.