Plantation experts have emphasised the need for diversification into multi cropping, agro forestry including silviculture to harvest timber which is at present being imported. This, according to them, could in turn help save valuable foreign exchange for the country.
Addressing a session on Value Added Plantations, including natural rubber at the Invest Kerala Global Summit, Mathew Abraham, president, United Planters Association of South India (Upasi) said agroforestry would help improve biodiversity and the sector could look into the possibility of carbon credits subsequently.
Hailing Kerala for constituting the first ever Plantation Directorate in India, he said the initiatives taken by the government could unleash the potential of the plantations going forward.
Provide opportunities
The plantation industry is hopeful of the report submitted by IIM Kozhikode which would provide opportunities for diversification and modernisation required for the sustainability of the plantations.
Stressing that value addition to plantation produce was important, Upasi president suggested GI tagging for Kerala tea and for Idukki Coffee, Cardamom and Pepper like what was done for Wayanad Robusta Coffee.
He said that there is an opportunity to invest in a Plantation Industrial hub with a state-of the-art warehousing and packaging facilities like the multi commodity centre in DMCC Dubai, where Kerala origin plantation commodities could be value added, specialty produce could be branded and marketed or exported as single origin produce with traceability.
Rajiv Budhraja, Director General of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) highlighted the vast opportunities for value addition in natural rubber sector. Tyre Industry, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the country’s NR consumption, is emerging as one of the fastest-growing manufacturing sectors in India.
He pointed out specific opportunities for Kerala which include creating a pool of skilled manpower resources in areas like compounding, machine operating, quality, R&D etc since the State had inherent advantage of high literacy and the youth can be trained for gainful employment in the natural rubber sector. Setting up world class laboratories for testing of rubber products was also one of the areas identified by ATMA as having immense potential in future.
The panel discussion was chaired by Sheela Thomas, Chairperson of Kerala Rubber Ltd .
