Equip farmers to reach global market: Kerala Guv

Kerala Governor P Sathasivam Monday said spices cultivators should be encouraged to think globally and make use of the latest farming technologies.

It was important to help Indian farmers by providing better storage facilities, which in turn would facilitate consistent supply for value addition, Sathasivam said opening the 4th session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) established under Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).

Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu wished success to the five-day meet through video conferencing.

In his message, the Minister said with the implementation of agriculture export policy, importance has been given to promotion of organic spices' exports.

 

"Ensuring transparency and equality in fixing global quality standards for spices and herbs can strengthen the global food safeguard without compromising on safety," the Governor said.

Stressing the need to double the installed capacity of storage facilities which would help in value addition of spices, he said ordinary farmers should learn about value-addition and get access to the technologies used in agriculture in conformity with global standards.

He suggested that committees like CCSCH should interact more often with farmers to create awareness about global standards.

"Kerala has suffered a production loss of more than 25,000 tones of spices valued at Rs1,254 crore in recent floods," the Governor noted.

In her address, Rita Teaotia, Chairperson of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said in the previous three sessions, the CCSCH succeeded in getting approval of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for three standards: black, white and green pepper; cumin and thyme.

Secretary of Spices Board, Dr M K Shanmuga Sundaram said the session was expected to adopt the draft standards for selected spices and herbs.

The CCSCH would deliberate on draft standards for oregano, basil, ginger, garlic, chilli pepper and paprika, nutmeg, saffron and cloves, which are in the form of reports of Electronic Working Groups (eWGs) established by the previous session held at Chennai in February 2017.

More than 100 delegates from 30 countries are participating in the meet.

Set up in 1963, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an intergovernmental body established jointly by the UNs Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), within the framework of the Joint Food Standards Programme to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.