The Kasaragod-based CPCRI (Central Plantation Crops Analysis Institute) is planning to discover the industrial potential of the palmyrah plant. As a primary step, the CPCRI’s regional station in Kayamkulam, Kerala, will home germplasm of the plant from totally different components of the nation.
In an off-the-cuff chat with businessline on the sidelines of a farmer-contact programme in Mangaluru on Friday, KB Hebbar, Director of CPCRI, Kasaragod, mentioned the institute has now added palmyrah as a mandate crop for analysis together with arecanut, coconut and cocoa.
Terming palmyrah as a less-explored crop, he mentioned CPCRI is amassing germplasm from totally different components of the nation, and planting them at its Kayamkulam regional station for additional characterisation.
Neera assortment tech
The institute’s analysis will deal with scientific assortment of palmyrah neera, and manufacturing of value-added merchandise reminiscent of palmyrah sugar, jaggery, syrup and honey, and so forth.
CPCRI already has neera assortment and processing expertise for palm crops. The institute has on condition that expertise to Telangana for the manufacturing of palmyrah neera in that State. Stating that Bihar Agricultural College has many palmyrah timber, he mentioned, “We’ll refine that expertise in collaboration with the college for the manufacturing of palmyrah neera.”
To a question on the neera manufacturing from palm crops, he mentioned farmers can produce neera from coconut inflorescence all year long. Nevertheless, the manufacturing of neera is seasonal within the case of palmyrah, fishtail palm, and date palm.
Hebbar mentioned that CPCRI is making an attempt to reorient its analysis programmes primarily based on the wants of the farmers, stakeholders and the trade.
“Till now, the institute has been concentrating on crop varieties, both for yield or for high quality. To a big extent we’ve got achieved that one. Now our goal is to deliver down the price of manufacturing of mandate crops,” he mentioned.
Other than this, the institute can also be specializing in analysis within the space of local weather change influence on the mandate crops, and the measures to sort out them, he added.
