Agriculture Minister P. Prasad said here on Monday that the State government would use the ₹1,400 crore received in assistance from World Bank to help Krishibhavans (agricultural offices) identify and launch value-added products.
The Minister was speaking at the inauguration of a pokkali rice harvest festival organised by Kadamakudy panchayat and the Kadamakudy-Varappuzha Jaiva (organic) Cooperative. The Minister said a product would be identified by each Krishibhavan, which would then work to develop a value-added product from produce that dominates the area.
Mr. Prasad pointed to the strength of a panchayat like Kadamakudy, which could bring out value-added products from pokkali rice as the unique rice variety is widely cultivated in the panchayat. There were 1,041 Krishibhavans in the State, and each of them would be empowered to look into strategies for developing value-added products and marketing them, the Minister said.
