The State government will soon launch the ‘Kathir’ agriculture club project in schools to inculcate an interest in farming among students, Agriculture Minister T. Siddique has said.

Inaugurating the State-level conclave on the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) in Kozhikode on Monday (August 10), the Minister said the government planned to introduce a system of awarding weightage marks to students who engage in agricultural activities.

“The ‘Kathir’ project, aimed at attracting the younger generation to farming, will be launched in 500 schools in its first year and subsequently expanded to all schools in the State. The project will have nodal teachers, a backup team, and ₹10,000 as seeding money for each school. Discussions in this regard have already been held with the General Education Minister,” Mr. Siddique said.

The Minister said that as the United Nations had declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, the State government had formulated a special scheme exclusively for women farmers under the name ‘Vanitha Sakhi’

The AIF, launched in 2020, is now entering its second phase and has emerged as a crucial fund for developing infrastructure required in the agriculture sector, including post-harvest management, making of value-added products, packaging, marketing and exports. The State-level conclave is an important step towards fully utilising the AIF and securing a larger allocation for Kerala, the Minister said.

“The State has been allocated ₹2,520 crore under the scheme since 2020, of which ₹1,734 crore has already been utilised. The government has included the AIF in its 100-day action programme to ensure more efficient utilisation of the fund,” Mr. Siddique said.

The government will also formulate projects in association with the Cooperation department to address problems caused by climate change, including floods and drought, and take further measures to support farmers, he said.

The AIF is a credit-linked financing scheme introduced to strengthen the agriculture sector by facilitating greater investment in agricultural infrastructure.

Kozhikode district panchayat president Milli Mohan presided.

Published - August 10, 2026 07:14 pm IST