Agrofood Chamber seeks ‘food processing hub’ status for southern States in agri budget

As the State government seeks to lay stronger thrust on development of many regions other than Chennai, southern districts in Tamil Nadu should be declared as food processing hub as it holds immense potential, stated Madurai-based Agrofood Chamber of Commerce and Industry in its pre-budget memorandum for Tamil Nadu Agriculture Budget 2022-23.

In Madurai and other southern districts such as Theni, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, there are agro-food processing industries engaged in value-added products involving dal, flour, edible oil, rice and wheat products, dairy, vegetables and fruits processing and millet products among others.

Food processing hubs

“We request the government to declare these districts as food processing hubs and announce a separate policy with special grants to attract global food processors to start their manufacturing activities in these districts,” S Rethinavelu, President of Agrofood Chamber said in the memorandum.

The Chamber has also requested to explore the possibilities for the manufacture of high value-added products from the palmyra tree. Though last year’s Agri budget announced various schemes to protect and grow Palmyra trees, the government could extend the focus to encourage the production of value-added products. “All the products we get from palmyra tree, including sweet toddy (pathaneer), ice apple (nungu), palmyra tuber (panam kilangu), palmyra fruit (panam pazham), palmyra candy (panangkalkandu) and palmyra black bar (panam karupatti) have very high medicinal values. But we have not explored further, with intensive research, to process high value-added products,” he said.

Hygienic extraction of nectar

Since collecting pathaneer in open mud pots attract beetles and insects making it unhygienic, modern scientific methods have to be followed to extract palmyra nectar in “temperature-controlled vacuum pouches” hygienically without getting fermented at atmospheric temperature. Some private research institutes have successfully designed such vacuum pouches. Members of the Agrofood Chamber are also into this research. Researches should be encouraged to come out with apt pouches. Rapid development can be witnessed if this project is promoted under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

The chamber suggested that growing palmyra trees in a large-scale manner under horticultural plantations should be encouraged AIt is not clear whether the palmyra tree is attached to the Department of Agriculture or the Department of Horticulture. The rural economy can be promoted by reviving the cultivation of palmyra trees and processing of high value-added products, which will increase employment opportunities in villages,” stated Rethinavelu

Millets

As the consumption of millets continues to grow globally, it is an opportune time for Tamil Nadu, which produces a large quantity of millets, to promote the export of value-added products of millets from the State by encouraging the farmers. “The millet cultivation is prevalent in Southern districts such as Virudunagar, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Madurai & Dindigul . Therefore, by declaring these five districts as “Millets Cultivation Zone” and providing special subsidies to them, the income of the farmers would go up and they can become exporters,” he said.

The Chamber also made a plea for setting up a Pulses Development Board (PDB) in Tamil Nadu on the lines of other development boards for cardamom, coffee and spices to increase their cultivation and marketing.

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