Food For Thought: TN Urges Schools To Open Kitchen Gardens For Mid-Day Meals Amid Rising Food Prices

Prices of fruits and vegetables have been soaring high in the country and are expected to remain at elevated price levels in the coming days. The rates have increased more than 10 per cent in October itself.

The situation across many states is distressing, and the Tamil Nadu government urges people to grow fruits and vegetables on their premises. The rising prices have severely affected the quantity and quality of mid-day meals provided in government schools.

The Tiruchhipalli district has started encouraging the schools to open 'kitchen gardens' on the campus and grow vegetables that can be used for meals.

According to The New Indian Express report, nearly 240 schools out of 1,578 have kitchen gardens and grow fruits and vegetables.

Speaking to the media, District Collector S Sivarasu said they are encouraging all the government schools in the district to produce vegetables on their own. The officials provide the staff with seeds, tools, fencing, and other equipment needed for the gardens. The officials ran the trial run of the kitchen garden before COVID hit the country, but they weren't able to expand the outlet due to the outbreak. However, the administration intends to restart the process.

The administration has also released a set of guidelines to be adhered to by the school authorities, from mandating masks to avoiding keeping the food in the open.

"The home-grown vegetables will be an additional input apart from the ones purchased outside, and hope to implement it in all the schools to ensure good quality food," he added.

Reportedly, the mid-day meal scheme was halted for 19 months but has now resumed in schools. The number of children enrolling in government schools has also increased, further giving rise to the number of beneficiaries of the scheme.

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