Value addition was the keyword of a webinar organised by Malayala Manorama on the 'Revival of agriculture post COVID' on Friday.
Kerala Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar, speaking right at the beginning of the discussion, made it clear that value addition is the way forward for sustainable farming in the state.
All the panellists, including former bureaucrats, agriculturists and academicians, shared the optimism that there is a lot of scope for the youth to invest their ideas and talent in the field of agriculture.
“The current scenario is highly suitable for the youth to try their hands at agriculture,” Sunilkumar said.
Explaining the concept of value addition, the minister said Kerala should explore the potentials to make value-added products from crops like coconut, banana, pineapple etc which are widely cultivated in the state.
A key suggestion made by him was that the state has to amend the list of plantation crops and add fruits like avacado and mangostin in the category.
He also talked about the government's Subhiksha Keralam project aimed at making the state self-reliant in the production of food crops.
Dr K N Harilal, member, state planning board, highlighted the issue of land use in the state. He said following the Gulf boom, most of the land in the state is being used as a means of accumulating assets. “The state has to bring in some policy changes without damaging the spirit of land reforms to make maximum land available for farming,” he said.
He also called for a change in the people's food habits. “We should include more vegetables and fruits in our diet which is predominantly grains-based,” he said.
P C Cyriac, former chairman, Rubber Board, was highly optimistic about the state's potentials in the farming sector but he did not share the hope when it came to the latex cultivation. He said there is no point in farming rubber unless the central government changes the policy promoting large-scale import.
He said farmers should adopt the method of farming rice and fish intermittently to make their efforts profitable. He had two important advices to the farmers in the state. One, cultivate only crops that can be used to make value-added products. Two, do not cultivate anything without proper irrigation facility.
He also urged the state government to legalise and promote tenant farming.
Dr J Thomas, former rubber production commissioner, stressed on the need to transform farmers into entrepreneurs. Taking a cue from the tulip fields of the Netherlands, Thomas said the paddy fields in Kuttanadu should be made a tourist hub where foreigners can engage in traditional farming activities.
James George, president, All Kerala Pineapple Farmers Association, spoke from his experiences of suffering huge losses during the lockdown. He also called for government help to set up value-addition units, including wine breweries. He thanked the state government for initiating the 'pineapple challenge' during the lockdown which helped them sell a considerable amount of their crops in the state itself as the supply chain to the markets outside Kerala were disrupted.
Dr Sthanu R Nair, associate professor, IIM-Kozhikode, said the role of the middlemen should be minimised to ensure that the farmers get proper price for their crops. His other suggestions included promoting contract farming, forming collectives that can launch joint ventures and glamorisation of the field.
P S Pradeep, CEO, Farmers Fresh Zone, a startup online market, said the state has to explore the ways to use data-driven technology to make farming sustainable. He had a solid suggestion that the media should celebrate success stories in the field of agriculture. The minister also shared the view.
K Krishnanunni, who won this year's Manorama Karshakashree award, urged the government to treat a farmer as essentially a farmer irrespective of the size of his land.
Former additional chief secretary P H Kurien moderated the session.
