Kalamassery Agricultural Festival to feature new crops, farm equipment and cultural events

INDIA – The Kalamassery Agricultural Festival will return for its third edition at Chakkolas Ground from August 26 to September 2, bringing together agriculture, industry, culture and literature under one roof.

Industries minister P Rajeeve announced the program at a news conference in the city. He confirmed that actor Prithviraj Sukumaran will inaugurate the event on Tuesday, August 19.

The celebrations will begin with a colourful cultural procession starting from the Kalamassery municipal office at 4pm. Participants from local panchayats will join, showcasing traditional art forms and percussion ensembles before arriving at the main venue.

“A major attraction of the event will be the extensive agricultural and industrial exhibition,” Rajeeve said. He added that the fair will include 132 stalls featuring a wide range of products.

Visitors can expect to see fresh farm produce, new crops introduced in Kalamassery, and goods from local value-addition units.

Modern farming equipment, coir, bamboo, handloom goods and traditional rice varieties such as pokkali, Kadungalloor kuthari and kalanchi will also be on display.

In preparation for the festival, organizers held 18 seminars across the constituency. These sessions covered topics including paddy, millets, tuber crops, vegetables, mushroom farming, fisheries and dairy. Farmers, Kudumbashree units, resident associations and youth groups actively joined the discussions.

The symbolic art form Kadamban Moothan also toured various parts of Kalamassery, carrying the message of reviving Kerala’s agricultural culture. “Kadamban Moothan reflects our farming heritage and reminds us to respect and preserve it,” one of the organizers said during the announcement.

The Kalamassery Agricultural Festival began in 2023 and has since grown into a key event on the local calendar. Last year’s edition, held from September 7 to 13 at Chackolas Pavilion, featured similar exhibitions, a food festival with regional delicacies such as Attappadi chicken and Ramassery idlis, and cultural performances.

The 2024 edition skipped its usual procession due to landslides in Wayanad, making this year’s return of the tradition a notable highlight.

The festival arrives at a time when Kerala continues to focus on strengthening its farming sector. Earlier this month, the agriculture department rolled out new training sessions for smallholder farmers on soil health and water management.

Officials said these programs will complement events such as the Kalamassery fair by linking knowledge sharing with practical demonstrations.

“The festival creates an opportunity for farmers to see new practices while also celebrating our culture,” Rajeeve said. He expressed confidence that this year’s edition will draw large crowds and give local producers a stronger platform to showcase their work.

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