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“Climate change and global warming are more threatening than war and that is the biggest challenge for farmers today,” said P Prasad, Kerala Agriculture Minister. “We should be more serious about climate change and the weather-based insurance introduced by the Spices Board for small cardamom is an encouraging initiative in shielding the farmers from such catastrophe.”
The Minister also said, “The farmers should practice and adopt progressive farming methods like carbon-neutral agriculture for food safety in cultivation”.
He was speaking at the event organised by the Spices Board for presenting the ‘Small Cardamom Productivity Awards’ for the year 2019-20 and 2020-21 and the distribution of weather-based crop insurance policy to the beneficiaries.
It is a novel insurance scheme introduced by the Spices Board to provide protection for the crop against weather-caused calamities to small cardamom farmers. The function also witnessed the felicitation of Jomy Mathew, winner of the IPC award for the best pepper farmer from India for the year 2020.
Pricing concerns
A G Thankappan, Chairman, Spices Board voiced concerns over the price and market fluctuations that affect the farmers adversely. The Board has been striving to support the farmers through all possible means like the new weather-based insurance scheme launched on a pilot basis in Idukki for small cardamom.
“With the aim to make India a premier supplier of cardamom, Spices Board has been implementing many programmes like planting material production through certified nurseries in farmer’s fields, setting up of irrigation facilities, purchasing and installingcardamom dryers, washers, cleaners, etc.,” he added.
D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, said, “In spite of the challenges posed by the pandemic and changes in weather conditions, the cardamom growers have achieved remarkable progress in production and made a considerable contribution to the export of spices.”
Spices Board lauded
Dean Kuriakose, Member of Parliament from the Idukki constituency and Member of Spices Board, said, “Kerala has registered a record production of cardamom and I congratulate the Spices Board for coming up with weather-based insurance for cardamom growers.”
The Board constituted the cardamom productivity awards to honour and encourage progressive cardamom farmers who have achieved high levels of productivity. The awards consisted of one first prize (₹1,00,000 and citation) and two second prizes (₹50,000 and citations), of which one is exclusively for a woman grower.
A special award is also constituted for the highest productivity in the organic category. The event was organised as part of the coral jubilee celebrations of the Spices Board.
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