Stephen Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod
Kasargod, Oct 7: P Sathasivam, governor of Kerala inaugurated 'An Innovators' Meet' at ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasargod on October 6.
Governor also inaugurated the exhibitions of innovators during the occasion. In his inaugural address, he expressed that he feels proud to be the son of a farmer from Erode district. Close to the Cauvery river, with no scarcity for water and the family were growing sugarcane and paddy. After he retired as Chief Justice, he took up farming and decided to settle in the land.
Governor also appreciated the programme, which has relevance in the post flood scenario of Kerala, to overcome poverty. He mentioned that the GDP has declined since last few years, but the plantation crops not only provide employment to the rural people, but also support for GDP growth. In Kerala coconut has declined in its area but productivity improved. He called upon the farmers to negotiate with the producer companies for make them purchase products locally. In order to face global challenges, farmers should increase farm level income by product diversification by value addition of coconut to produce VCO, chips, coconut sugar, etc., and to do systematic mixed farming in coconut and areca nut.
He wished that the government interventions for organized processing may come up in the future to process and bring wealth from waste, ideas into tangible products and improve the environment for agri-business. Governor assured that he will mention CPCRI to recognize its relevance.
Governor released the publications 'Proceedings of the workshop on Arecanut and Human Health'. SR Sathish Chandra, president, CAMPCO and Konkodi Padmanabha, board of director, CAMPPCO, received the publication. A product, Samruthy - Coir Pith Compost by Sebastian was released by the governor.
There was also exchange of MoA between CPCRI for Startup Green with Kerala Startup Mission, GoK, Thiruvananthapuram. Gopinath, received a copy of the MoA.
NA Nellikunnu, MLA, Kasaragod presided over the programme and praised the Incubation Centre as a backbone to the farmers of Kasaragod. He called upon the farmers’ attention to the advancements at CPCRI and to utilize the facilities.
Dr Raju Narayana Swamy, IAS, chairman, CDB, Kochi, in his felicitation speech emphasised the relevance of CPCRI in saving the farmers from distress. He stressed for organic farming culture, face-lifting the sector from mere farming for production of the commodity, to a new horizon of entrepreneurship for development.
Entrepreneurs, Yamuna Reddy, Pragathi Enterprises, AP, Rammohan, Umapathy Farms, TN, Nagaraja SR, ProB, Bengaluru, Mahesh Bhat, SriKalpa, Industries, Kumbla, Dinesh Pias, Krishna Plantations, Goa, Sibi Mathew, Magico, Kasaragod, Ramasesan, Gen Aeronautics, Bengaluru, S Narayanan, SPIC, Coimbatore, Sathish Pai, Hangyo Icecreams, Mangaluru, Pavithra S, Coimbatore, were felicitated for being successful in their ventures in coconut based industries.
Dr P Chowdappa, director, ICAR-CPCRI, welcomed the chief guests and highlighted the technologies of CPCRI. He emphasized on the keenness of the governor and also prime minister's vision on doubling the farmers' income. Dr K Muralidharan, head, social science, and convenor of the programme, proposed vote of thanks.