Shri V.S. Sunil Kumar, Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture,

Shri Kadakampally Surendran, Hon’ble Minister for Devaswom Co-operation and Tourism,

Shri V.K. Prasanth, Hon’ble Mayor,

Shri Shashi Tharoor, M.P.,       

Shri K. Muraleedharan, M.L.A.,

Smt. Rakhi Ravikumar, Deputy Mayor,

Dr. Raju Narayana Swami, IAS, Agriculture Production Commissioner,

Shri Biju Prabhakar, IAS, Director of Agriculture,

Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

Ivide Vannittulla Ente Priya Karshaka Suhruthukkale,

Ellavarkkum Ente Namaskaram

I am very happy to inaugurate this mega workshop on Agro processing and Value addition organized by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala. This workshop attains great significance in the context of value addition being regarded as a guaranteed method to transform agriculture into a profitable endeavor.

All of us are aware that now-a-days people in Kerala very much depend on our neighboring states for vegetables, fruits and rice. In fact, our transition from a producer State to          a consumer State was the saddest development in recent years.  But, I am happy that the government has taken a very serious view of this situation and introduced many schemes to promote agriculture and thereby, food production, in the State.

People will happily choose to remain in farming only if it is profitable to them on a regular basis. Most of us do not realize that agriculture involves great risk, because   profit and loss are often decided more by irregular climate than by the market. Added to this is the perishable nature of the produce, which demands speedy channels of marketing.  It is sad that no one sees the loss suffered by farmers and traders when agricultural produce get piled up and unsold due to various reasons. Unless issues relating to farmers are properly addressed and timely practical help provided, we cannot expect farmers to be motivated by seminars and lectures, however informative they are. 

However, I understand that this Mega Workshop would be different and really useful since it aims to provide a common platform for the exchange of ideas amongst farmers, technologists, investors, financiers, marketers, researchers and other stakeholders in the sector. I am certain that the Government’s decision to set apart Rs.500 crore for setting up small and medium scale agro-parks would eventually help farmers in getting profitable price on a sustainable basis.

We all know that India is the world's second largest producer of fruits and vegetables.  But, at the same time, due to lack of proper infrastructure in post-harvest management, there is tremendous wastage. In processing of fruits and vegetables, we lag behind even Thailand which processes over 30% of its fruits and vegetables.   A recent study of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research had put the post-harvest losses  in fruits and vegetables at around 15 per cent.

When it comes to Kerala, there is a significant surplus production in many agricultural commodities. However, due to poor infrastructure and after - harvest handling, we also suffer high level of losses. The severe lack of facilities for cold storage and refrigerated transport, which are affecting the Indian market, affect Kerala also. We need to ensure an even distribution of the cold storage facilities available in the State. We also need to double our installed capacity in terms of storage facilities so that value addition also becomes easier.

Farmers' access to the means and technology for value addition also deserves our serious attention, since effective value addition calls for more capital investment, infrastructure, marketing, proper guidelines, training and governmental support.         

Talking of technology, there are many institutions like the National Institute of Interdisciplinary Research in Thiruvananthapuram, which offer a wide variety of technologies related to value addition in agro-products like pepper, jack-fruit, cashew apple and even banana fiber. But, how many of our ordinary farmers get access to such technologies, is a matter to be looked into. We have to give thrust to a regular flow of practical inputs that farmers can make use of.  I hope the institutions like the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, the Coconut Development Board and other institutions taking part in the workshop would open newer and more effective channels of knowledge sharing with the farmers.

Skill up-gradation is another important area in the farm sector. If value addition and agro-processing must register well with farmers, we need to provide them adequate exposure and training. To avoid Agriculture remaining as a domain of the unskilled, we have to make people familiar with the new trends in farm mechanization also.  Through such regular interactions, we can even equip our farmers to demand their share of the technologies from universities and other institutions, as a matter of right.

I compliment the Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala for organizing this mega workshop for the benefit of the farming community. The Department's efforts have resulted in popularization of farming especially in the case of vegetables and opened a market for the “safe to eat” vegetables grown organically. It has also created awareness among people about the need to avoid harmful pesticides.

       I sincerely hope that this workshop would bring about a more active participation of farmers in ensuring value addition of their yield.

       I wish this venture all success.

Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Nanni

Jai Hind