THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Agriculture Department will get the assistance of the Mumbai-based Indian Institute of Packaging to sell agri produces in attractive packing. An MoU for this was signed at the ongoing Value Chain Development in Agriculture (VAIGA) 2023 programme of the Agriculture Department at Putharikandam Maidan here.
“The agriculture department is focusing on value-added products to prevent wastage of produce, to transport them to faraway places, to ensure food and nutrition safety and to create more job opportunities in production, processing and sale. Value-added products have special significance in Kerala. Agriculture can be made more profitable by merging the production and sale of farmers’ collectives,” said an official release.
“Packaging and branding connect customers and producers. They also have importance in the sale of value-added products. Top officers of the IIP visited the VAIGA and held consultation with stakeholders in Kerala,” the release said.
The MoU will help in technology transfer on modern packaging and modern technologies that would help farmers’ collectives, producers’ organisations and entrepreneurs in value-added product development to find new markets in Indian and abroad.
The MoU was signed by IIP director R K Mishra and Samethi director George Sebastian. Samethi will work for the government to coordinate programmes as part of the MoU.
A seminar on value-added product chain development was held as part of VAIGA-2023. Kerala State Agricultural Prices Board chairman Rajasekharan presided over the seminar. Andhra Pradesh State Development Corporation managing director Sekhar Babu Jadram said poly house, net house and tissue culture were used in Andhra Pradesh for producing sowing materials.
The Onattukara Spices Farmer Producer Company is selling turmeric under the brand Onattukara Spices, said ICAR-KVK principal scientist Muraleedharan. The company has a proper system for producing quality sowing materials, plant care, procurement, branding and marketing, he said.
Meghna Kelkar spoke on the World Bank-supported Sanjeevani project in Maharashtra, and Vijay Kalekkar on Sahyadri FPO. Devesh Kumar representing World Bank-supported Jeevi FPO in Bihar, spoke about the stores through which they sell products. Thottiyam Banana Producers Group chief marketing executive Kalyanasundran spoke about the production at his company.