3 months ago
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C.N. Shiva Prakash, managing manager of Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation Limited (KAPPEC), has urged capsicum growers to heighten the worth of their products done branding and to see exporting arsenic a viable opportunity.
He spoke aft inaugurating a two-day nationalist seminar titled ‘Pepper: An Intercrop successful Arecanut for Prosperity’ organised by Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (KSNUAHS) successful Shivamogga connected January 28.
Spices, peculiarly pepper, person played a large relation successful Indian past by attracting traders who yet turned into invaders and conquerors. “Pepper has a agelong history. It was utilized successful past Egyptian mummification. It was besides utilized arsenic a preservative,” helium noted.
Pepper growers person opportunities to process, bundle and marque their product. “Just arsenic java is marketed, capsicum growers tin physique their ain brands and marketplace their product. Our organisation — KAPPEC — would promote growers to research the opportunities to standard up their marketing,” helium said.
Mr. Shiva Prakash said that his instauration was besides a nodal bureau for the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises, a centrally sponsored scheme. It provides financial, method and concern enactment to found nutrient processing units. Those funny successful adding worth to capsicum and different products could avail themselves of the subsidy nether the scheme. Recently, the institute acceptable up a communal incubation centre (CIC) astatine Mudigere by spending astir ₹2.1 crore. “We person enactment up a works to process capsicum astatine Mudigere. The growers tin marque usage of the installation and marketplace their ain brand,” helium added.
R. Dinesh, manager ICA-IISR astatine Kozhikode successful Kerala, emphasised the request to boost capsicum exports. “At present, lone 15% of the full accumulation is being exported. Our purpose is to summation spice exports to $10 cardinal by 2030,” helium said.
Balachandra Hebbar, manager of ICAR-CPCRI astatine Kasargod, said areca growers could summation their returns by taking capsicum arsenic an intercrop. “Cultivation of pepper, on with areca, could boost growers’ income. Pepper increases humidity and provides the indispensable shadiness to areca. Besides, it adds to the aesthetic look of the plantation,” helium said.
Dr. Prasath, task coordinator of AICRP (Spices) astatine ICAR-IASR astatine Kozhikode, opined that if 50% of areca growers instrumentality capsicum arsenic an intercrop, the home request of capsicum could beryllium fulfilled. “While we export capsicum worthy implicit ₹1,000 crore, we are importing it worthy implicit ₹1,500 crore. We request to standard up the production,” helium added.
Prof. R.C.Jagadeesha, VC of KSNUAHS, said the assemblage has been moving with assorted institutes to find solutions to the diseases affecting areca successful the Malnad region.
S. Senthil Vinayagam, manager of the Indian Institute of Plantation Management; M. Senthil Kumar, manager of CCRI, Balehonnur; Nagarajappa Adivappa, caput of Arecanut Research Centre and others were contiguous astatine the inaugural ceremony. Many experts, scientists and capsicum growers participated successful the two-day seminar.
