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Kerala Plantation Directorate, the first of its kind in the country, has plans to entrust management institutes like IIM’s to prepare a vision document for the plantation sector for the next 25 years so as to make it economically viable, environmentally stable and to generate job opportunities.
In an interaction with businessline, S Harikishore, the founder Director of the Plantation Directorate said ₹40 lakh has been earmarked for the study covering assessment of the current state of plantation sector, training and skill development, financial viabilities, prospects of other allied activities such as floriculture, poultry, horticulture, value addition and so on.
The plantation directorate has been formed to generate more revenue through value addition by adopting sustainable measures. Being a labour intensive industry, he said the sector faces several challenges due to rising production cost, which hit the productivity and markets. There is a need for value addition in the ailing sector to derive more benefits to the farming community.
According to him, the sector’s diversification and modernisation are the need of the hour to remain competitive. Plantations can play a major role in the cultivation of exotic fruits, where Kerala is a major market. Intercropping is another area for diversification to generate additional income.
The existing factories using modern technologies can go for value addition to help developing high-quality niche products. The Plantation Directorate intends to support farmers in this endeavour, he said.
“We have allocated ₹1 crore for skilling, value addition, marketing and branding and has recommended ₹10 crore next year”, Harikishore added.
Plantation expo
Eyeing overseas markets, a plantation expo is being organised in February next as part of marketing products of various estates and branding them. It is also envisaged to conduct training for acquiring new skills, re-skilling existing workforce, conducting awareness campaigns on carbon trading mechanisms, programmes for owners to take up other economic activities in plantations.
Kerala being a state with perennial tree cultivation, the revenue can run into millions over the years. A proper carbon trading mechanism can be developed through awareness programmes with the planters community, he said
“We have also charted out a broad plan, which included a scheme to revamp and modernise existing factories with the support of the Industries Department, rainwater harvesting to get higher yield, welfare activities for workers with Labour department support”, he said.
Besides the action plan, he said the Plantation Directorate is mulling certain policy changes like enhancing the area of exempted land for other allied activities. The existing five per cent of land for conversion is too small to achieve economies of scale for those owning 20 acres, as the land availability for such purpose would be too minimal with hardly one acre.
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