The Chilli Task Force Committee (CTFC) constituted by the Spices Board (SB) to look at the issues confronted by farmers in main chilli producing States has really helpful {that a} joint effort be made by the board, the Quality Council of India, and the Horticulture Departments of the States to unfold consciousness on the necessity to undertake Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and natural certification.
Awareness dismal
While declaring in its examine report submitted to the SB a few months in the past that the notice is dismal, the CTFC has urged that the GAP authenticated by the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, and built-in pest administration practices utilized by M/s ITC Spices be popularised to realize the specified ends in rising high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties.
It was famous by the CTFC that the normal method through which chillies have been grown by a big quantity farmers, devoid of consciousness of high quality of seedlings and seeds, strategies thereof, land preparation, sowing, high quality management mechanisms and so forth., was a matter of concern.
“About 25% of total chilli produce ready for export is rejected at the ports due to lack of international quality standards,” the report said.
The state of affairs required spreading of consciousness with the involvement of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, State Agriculture Universities, varied nationwide institutes and personal stakeholders within the PPP mannequin.
The CTFC has additionally stated a concerted effort ought to be made in the direction of certification of the farmers’ produce with appropriate requirements equivalent to ‘Global GAP’ and ‘IndGAP’ to assist in addressing the standard necessities of the market and in manufacturing of ‘consumer safe’ spices.
Minimum assured value
Besides, the committee really helpful that the State governments repair minimal assured costs by creating value stabilisation funds, and that mechanisation ought to be adopted in any respect ranges of chilli manufacturing to beat the problems associated to labour, and native machines be developed to interchange the costly Made-in-China ones earlier than later.
Other suggestions of the CTFC pertain to the event of local weather – tolerant varieties, curbing the menace of spurious seeds, bettering irrigation amenities, offering customised credit score and ample storage and warehousing area, finding out the usage of chilli and its merchandise in pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, and making improved and economically possible applied sciences out there.
As far as manufacturing of chilli is worried, Andhra Pradesh leads the desk with practically 6.56 lakh tonnes grown in about 1.76 lakh hectares. It is adopted by Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab.
Source: www.thehindu.com