The Kilimanoor block panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram has launched its own brand of rice. The KMR Rice formally launched in the local markets earlier this week is the result of an intervention made by the block panchayat in the agriculture sector. Kilimanoor block panchayat president B.P. Murali told The Hindu that the local body has set up a rice mill to process the paddy, and to clean, de-husk, and package the produce.
Paddy is procured from farmers in eight grama panchayats which come under the block panchayat. The rice mill has a capacity to process one tonne of rice a day. The initiative is being taken up under the Bhoomimithra Farmer Producer Organisation under the aegis of the block panchayat and the Agriculture department.
₹70 lakh in subsidy
“On an average, the block panchayat gets about ₹9 crore of Plan funds annually. We had chalked out plans to use the funds in a way to benefit the maximum number of people. The eight panchayats under the block produce some of the largest quantities of paddy in Thiruvananthapuram district. The block is providing a total of ₹70 lakh in subsidy to the farmers. When the paddy production increased, the delay in procurement and payment created issues for the farmers. This situation led us to the idea of a rice processing mill and our own brand,” says Mr. Murali.
The KMR Rice has been made available in packages of 1 kg, 2 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg. The Kilimanoor Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank Limited provided 80 cents of land for the mill, while the block office has provided store room space.
The Kilimanoor block panchayat also completed the first phase of construction of a flat complex for Scheduled Tribe families under the State government’s LIFE housing project. Keys to 18 families were handed over this week. A total of 51 families will get flats under the project.
Published – November 07, 2025 08:18 pm IST
