Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad said at the Vaiga 2023 agriculture expo that his department also plans to organize clinics at the district level to help farmers.
P. Prasad stated that proper DPRs that reflect the viability of agricultural proposals were critical for securing bank loans for entrepreneurs and farmers.
"When we speak with the banks, they tell us that viable projects do not come before them. Financial assistance is denied to proposals that are haphazardly prepared," Prasad said.
The department had organized a DPR Clinic as a prelude to the sixth edition of VAIGA, which is currently taking place at the Putharikkandam ground, and as part of the expo, assistance for drafting 50 DPRs was being provided. "We had planned it as a one-time event, but it will become a regular event," he said.
Similarly, Prasad stated that the department would establish VAIGA resource centres in the districts. The centres would act as platforms for the proper implementation of decisions and plans made at the annual VAIGA expos.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the sixth edition of VAIGA, which stands for Value Addition for Income Generation in Agriculture. The theme of the 2023 edition is 'Developing value chain in agriculture,' and the expo runs until March 2.