Farmers growing red chillies, tamarind and turmeric in Andhra Pradesh will soon get help as an exclusive Spices Development Agency has taken shape. They would get advice on best practices and on ways to improve profitability.
The agency, set up following a Central Government's decision, had met for the first time on Friday to discuss the modalities for preparing a roadmap. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary, I Y R Krishna Rao, is the de facto head of the agency.
The Spices Development Agency will focus on development of locally popular spices such as chillies, tamarind, curry leaf and turmeric.
The agency, which would have 14 members drawn from the trade, farming, the government and other stakeholders, would work out of Guntur.
The Guntur Agency would work on better management of spices to meet domestic and other export requirements. The agency has been set up to establish such regional bodies under the supervision of the Spices Board.
“The agency would act as a bridge connecting several State and Central departments for the development of spices. It would bring in better farming techniques, processing and packaging methods to get more value to the produce in the domestic and global markets,” a Government official said after the meeting on Friday.
The Central Government has promised to allocate funds for the agencies after receiving proposals for specific programmes to be taken up by the local agencies.