According to R Chandra Babu, Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University, plantation sector crops adopted by Odisha and North-Eastern States are likely to create more jobs in the agriculture sector.
On Tuesday, he opened the 24th International Symposium on Plantation Crops (PLACROSYM) here, saying that thorough and continuous research & development in the plantation sector will greatly add value to the sector.
Spices Exports Increased
Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, spices exports reached a new high of $4.1 billion, according to D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, and the Board is aiming for a $10 billion target in the coming year. He claims that while the plantation sector accounts for only 3% of cultivated land, it accounts for 27% of total agricultural commodity exports.
According to Spices Board Chairman A. G. Thankappan, the Covid outbreak had a significant impact on migrant workers, which was reflected in the plantation sectors. He challenged scientists and researchers to find the best solutions for Covid-related problems in the plantation sector.
About PLACROSYM:
PLACROSYM was founded in 1978 and is held biennially under the auspices of various research organizations/institutions involved in plantation crops research and development.
PLACROSYM brings together eminent plantation scientists and researchers to brainstorm and debate the challenges of change, particularly after Covid-19. The symposium's theme is 'Coping with the Pandemic and Beyond: Research and Innovations in the Plantation Crops Sector.'
The symposium's main crops are tea, coffee, spices, rubber, coconut, arecanut, oil palm, cashew, cocoa, and other commercially important plantation crops.
Objectives of Kerala Agricultural University:
Provide quality education in Agriculture, Horticulture, Cooperation, Forestry, Agricultural Engineering, Home Science & other allied disciplines.
Generate appropriate technologies to support the sustainable growth of agricultural entrepreneurship and agri-business.
Undertake basic, applied, and adaptive research to address current & future challenges of the farming community and to provide management options relevant to the prevailing agroclimatic and socio-economic situations.
