Value-Added Local Products Can Unlock Kerala's Rural Economic Growth: KAU Vice Chancellor
Thrissur: Strengthening efforts to transform Kerala's local produce into value-added products and effectively market them can significantly enhance farmers' income and stimulate the rural economy, said Dr. Sajitha Rani, Vice Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). She was inaugurating a training programme organized by the KAU Agri Business Incubator (ABI) in collaboration with the Palakkad Poverty Alleviation Programme. The Vice Chancellor emphasized that small-scale entrepreneurs, farmers, and women entrepreneurs in rural areas should take the lead in converting locally available resources into value-added products and bringing them to the market, thereby creating sustainable employment opportunities and improving rural livelihoods. She further stated that the KAU Agri Business Incubator plays a pivotal role in taking Kerala's indigenous products to global markets by leveraging modern technologies, quality standards, and efficient market linkages.
The programme was chaired by Dr. K. Surendra Gopal, Dean, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara. As part of the programme, the Vice Chancellor also flagged off the sixth export consignment of value-added food products processed at the KAU Common Incubation Facility (CIF) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The shipment marks the resumption of exports following the temporary disruption in cargo movement through the Strait of Hormuz caused by the conflict in the West Asian region.
Dr. K. P. Sudheer, Professor and Head of the KAU Agri Business Incubator, stated that the primary objective of the Incubator is to enhance farmers' and entrepreneurs' incomes while establishing a stronger global presence for Kerala's value-added agricultural products. The training programme was attended by beneficiaries of the Poverty Alleviation Programme, entrepreneurs, farmers, and other stakeholders.
