Kerala Department of Agriculture says no to plastic grow bags

Committing to environmental friendliness, the state Department of Agriculture decided to discontinue the use of the plastic grow bags that have become a familiar sight in vegetable gardens and farms on the rooftops across the state.

The use of non-biodegradable bags for agricultural purposes causes significant harm to the environment and their use should be discouraged, the department noted in a circular to its offices and the National Department of Environmental Studies and Conservation. floors.

Plastic grow bags should no longer be used in programs implemented by the National Department of Agriculture, the circular adds. Instead, the ministry has instructed its offices to ensure that grow bags are replaced with environmentally friendly alternatives like clay or coir pots and high-density polyethylene containers that last longer and can be recycled.

Another factor that prompted the Ministry of Agriculture to stop using these bags is the ban on single-use plastics which came into force on July 1 this year.

Family farming

Growbags had become a familiar sight across the state following the rollout of food security schemes such as ‘Subhiksha Keralam’ to encourage vegetable cultivation at the household level. In the latest such initiative, the department had announced plans to start farming in one lakh localities as part of Farmers’ Day celebrations on Chingam 1, the Malayalam New Year.

The department is emphasizing bio-recycling as part of a broader strategy to overhaul the state’s agricultural sector with the goal of ensuring sustainability and food security through environmentally friendly methods.