KOCHI: Training farmers on modern techniques. Producing additional value-added items. Catering to the twin objectives, the state government has hit upon an ambitious plan - agro-parks. Sixteen such facilities are slated to come up at an estimated project cost of Rs 100 crore. Each agro-park will concentrate on specific crops cultivated in a particular region. The entire project will be carried out with the active participation of farmers and cooperative societies.
To ensure income to farmers, they will be given equity participation in the parks. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has already approved Rs 14.27 crore for setting up three agro-parks. The first park will come up at Kannara in Thrissur, focusing on banana and honey. Providing the necessary technology; right from cultivation to harvesting, processing and marketing, the park is expected to benefit both banana farmers and entrepreneurs.
The Agriculture Department is also looking into the possibility of common branding for agro-products brought out through various agro-parks. “The tender proceedings are progressing and the construction of the first agro-park is set to be launched soon,” said Agriculture director A M Sunilkumar. While the Kerala Agro-industries Corporation has prepared the detailed project report, the funds will be channelised through KIIFB. “The Technical Committee has finalised the details of the tender. After the first park, a coconut agro-park will be set up at Kozhikode.
The facility will come up at Koothali and Vengeri,” said Sunilkumar. Along with Kozhikode and Thrissur, agro-parks will also be set up at Muthalamada in Palakkad and at Idukki. The Palakkad park will be for mangoes while the one at Idukki will cater to organic vegetables. “The remaining parks will be set up after assessing the success rate and progress of the first three facilities,” the Agriculture director said. The parks will concentrate mainly on value-added products, their processing and marketing. Most farmers are now selling their produce to wholesalers/retailers.
As things stand, the big companies - which primarily market value-added products - get the benefits, not the farmers. If the farmers are provided with an opportunity and technical assistance to make value-added products out of their produce, it will be a big boost to the agricultural economy of the state and to the farmers, the officer said.