TIRUCHY: In a motive to augment the value addition in the banana industry, R Selvarajan, the director of the ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), here on Wednesday, urged rural women to engage in small business initiatives such as producing banana stem juice and extracting fibre whereby reducing wastage of valuable resources.
Addressing the participants of the awareness programme on Transforming Waste to Wealth: Unlocking the value of Banana Fibre, organised by ICAR-NRCB along with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Selvarajan who emphasized the importance of value addition in the banana industry stated that the farmers or local entrepreneurs or rural women should engage themselves in small business initiatives.
He further highlighted that the training programme on value addition in the banana industry would greatly benefit women by helping them achieve economic independence.
He urged the participants to form groups and apply the skills learned through the training programme in banana fibre production. He appealed to rural women that these ventures could provide substantial income opportunities for individuals in rural areas, promoting both economic growth and sustainable practices within the community.
Meanwhile, J Suresh, the dean of Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women, Tiruchy, noted that various items including yoga mats, dining table covers, bouquets, sarees, dhotis, purses, handbags, and pen stands can be produced from banana fibres.
As a part of the training programme, KVIC, supported by the Handmade Paper and Fibre Industry (HMPFI), distributed machinery and tools for banana fibre extraction. While NRCB provided technical assistance throughout the training.
The 12-day training consisted of two batches of 10 artisans each. A total of 13 rural women took part in the programme and each batch was distributed with a Banana Fibre Extraction Machine and accessories to facilitate their new business ventures.