THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will extend grants, subsidies and incentives given to MSMEs to enterprises in the plantation sector as well, Industries Minister P Rajeeve has said. He was speaking after inaugurating the four-day ‘Plantation Expo’ organised by the newly formed Plantation Directorate. The directorate will be fully functional at the state and district levels by April, he said.
The minister said up to five percent of the plantation sector can be used for growing medicinal plants, horticorp ventures, tourism and other purposes.“Since the potentials of value-added products from plantation sector are not being fully utilised now, a single window system will be introduced at the Plantation Directorate to give sanctions for making the best out of such products,” he said.
“Nearly 42% of the country’s plantation is in Kerala. The sector is now passing through a tough time which we can overcome soon. The revenue from the Plantation Directorate will be utilised for new initiatives, strengthening eco-tourism and providing training to plantation workers”, he said.
“The growth rate of the industrial sector in the last financial year was 17.3 percent, the highest in the history of the state. The growth rate of the manufacturing sector was 18.9% which stands higher than the national rate. Also, loans given to MSMEs have crossed Rs 60,000 crore this year and this shows the huge support extended by banks to MSMEs,” he added.
The expo is being held on the Sooryakanthi Exhibition Grounds until February 19. It has the participation of registered plantations in the state, cooperative societies in the sector, traders, distributors and providers of goods and services.
Rajeeve launched the website of Plantation Directorate and logo of the Machinery Expo 2023, while V K Prasanth, MLA, who presided over the function released the teaser of the Machinery Expo 2023. Central and state institutions have set up stalls at the expo. Suman Billa, principal secretary, Industries, said the initiatives of the recently formed Plantation Directorate will help in the revival of plantation sector.
A P M Mohammed Hanish, principal secretary, Industries, stressed the importance of attracting more people to the plantation sector which is drastically affected by the challenges like climate changes. S Harikishore, Director of Industries and Commerce and Special Officer of Plantation, while proposing the vote of thanks, said, besides formulating initiatives to increase the sector’s revenue, the plantation expo will be taken to a global level in the coming years.
The function was attended by Ajit Kumar, secretary, Labour and Skill Department, Dr Santhosh Koshy Thomas, managing director, KINFRA, Dr R Ashok, chairman, RIAB, A K Jaleel, chairman, Association of Planters, Kerala, and A K Sudhir and P S Suresh Kumar, additional directors, Industries. The expo features 100 stalls showcasing the products and services of the participants. Public entry is free to the expo on all days from 11 am to 11 pm.
More post-harvest storage facilities needed
Infrastructure facilities for post-harvest storage should be further improved in the country for strengthening the plantation sector, said experts who participated in the seminar as part of the expo. A recent survey had found that the country’s storage facility can keep only 10% of India’s plantation products. And this in turn results in 6-18% wastage of fruits during the post-harvest period. The theme of the seminar was ‘Income augmentation in plantation sector through diversification and value addition.’
“As consumers have realised the nutritional value of fruits, the market demand for fruits has shown a remarkable hike during the post-pandemic period. And in India, 80 percent of fruits are sold as fresh fruits,” said Sanjib Kumar Sahoo of IG International.
Adequate focus should be given to improving land suitability, quality of yields, and packaging of plantation products besides, conducting research and training in the sector-specific areas, he said.
Ashok Nair, head, Sustainable Agri Operations, AVT McCormick Ingredients Pvt Ltd, said timely soil testing in ensuring the organic matter content in the soil is important as that will help produce quality yields.
“Sustainable agri operations like vegetative mulching, and soil and water testing will help improve the production in the plantation sector. Vegetative mulching will help farmers improve soil condition and thereby the produce. Also, women’s participation should be ensured in all stages of cultivation,” he said.