The Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala, India, organized the 6th Edition of VAIGA-2023-Developing Value Chain in Agriculture from 25th February to 2nd March at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. VAIGA 2023 is a mega event of the Department of Agriculture and an initiative for Agri growth in the state. It is at the forefront of developing and modernising the agriculture sector since 1908. The department works at the grassroots through Krishi Bhavans, guiding and supporting farmers via institutions like Vegetable & Fruit Promotion Council Kerala (VFPCK), State Horticulture Mission (SHM) Kerala, and Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) Kerala, Kerala Agricultural University and PSUs in Agricultural Sector.
The week-long program was formally inaugurated on 25th February by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan. The program was presided by Sri. P. Prasad, Hon. Minister for Agriculture, Kerala. An exhibition was also arranged in which 250 stalls were erected and the FPOs, SHGs and farmers exhibited their produces. VAIGA 2023 promoted and encouraged the development of value chains in Kerala’s agro sector, improving production levels and encouraging new technologies. The participants included the agriculturists, researchers, universities, Farmer Producer Companies, self-help groups, start-ups, agriculture students, commodity boards and other development and partner organizations.
During the week long program different competitions, B2B meetings, technical seminars and workshops were arranged. In the seminar altogether 18 sessions were organized in which one session was exclusively on Advances in Coconut Production Technologies conducted on 2nd March. International Coconut Community, Jakarta, Indonesia got an opportunity to being part of this big event of Govt of Kerala, India. Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw, Executive Director attended as a key note speaker of the session. She presented on Sustainable Coconut Industry-A Global Perspective & Scenario. The session was inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister of Electricity, Government of Kerala Mr. K. Krishnan Kutty and chaired by Dr. K. B. Hebbar, Director, CPCRI, India and co-chaired by Dr. Hanumanthe Gowda, Chief Coconut Development Officer, CDB, India. Other speakers attended were from CFTRI Mysore, Kerala Agriculture University and private sector entrepreneur. Open discussion and interactive session were conducted in which the queries of the participants were addressed. The other dignitaries attended the session were Dr. B. Ashok, IAS Principal Secretary & Agriculture Production Commissioner, Agriculture Department, Kerala, Dr. P. Rajashekaran, Chairman, State Agricultural Prices Board, Kerala and Chairman of the Seminar Committee and Mr. George Sebastian, Convener of the Seminar Committee. Ms. Mridula Kottekate, Assistant Director, ICC also attended the program.
Mr. P. Prasad, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Govt. of Kerala attended the seminar and distributed plaques of appreciation to the speakers.