AFCCI seeks to increase farmers’ income via exports
The Agriculture department could come forward with a curriculum to teach farmers about export procedures and the Agro Food chamber is ready to assist the department in this regard, he said.
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MADURAI: Ahead of the state agriculture budget 2024-25, Agro Food Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AFCCI), Madurai, has sought the government to increase farmers’ income through exports.
In order to motivate educated youngsters to venture in agriculture, S Rethinavelu, founder president, AFCCI, said the government should motivate them to set up units for preprocessing and manufacture of value-added products and to export their primary and processed food products.
The Agriculture department could come forward with a curriculum to teach farmers about export procedures and the Agro Food chamber is ready to assist the department in this regard, he said.
In its pre-budget memorandum to the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, he opined that all agricultural products regulated markets should have required infrastructure. There are 27 marketing committees under which 284 regulated markets are functioning in Tamil Nadu, but most of the regulated markets were bereft of required infrastructure, which’s the prime reason for post-harvest loss of agricultural products and the farmers not getting competitive prices.
As in other states, regulated markets should be set up in Tamil Nadu with not less than 50 acres with warehouse, cold storage, ripening chamber, storage cum sales depots, analytical laboratory, driers, packaging centre and auction centre.
He also felt the need for introducing ridge less collective farming policy. Land holding of small farmers on an average is only three acres on account of fragmentation and partition among family members. The farmers should be educated to go in for joint cultivation by removing the ridges of their small land holdings to introduce scientific farming with latest technology, which’s possible only in a large span of land. Cultivating jointly in a minimum land span of 100 acres would enable the farmers to get more productivity with quality. Farmers will get confidence only if the government comes out with a Ridge less Collective Farming Policy. Hence, the AFCCI has sought the government to intervene, instill confidence in the minds of the farmers in this matter and introduce ridge less cultivation, he urged.
BlurbAs in other states, regulated markets should be set up here with not less than 50 acres with warehouse, cold storage, ripening chamber, storage cum sales depots, analytical laboratory, driers, packaging and auction centres, demanded AFCCI’s founder president
