A spices park will foster the development of agricultural sector in Idukki district, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. Inaugurating the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) Spices Park under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) at Thudanganad, near Muttom, in Thodupuzha on Saturday, Mr. Vijayan said that increasing the demand for value-added products will help industrial parks in Kerala to grow fast and facilitate the success of micro, small and medium enterprises through more substantial competence in the global market.
“Entrepreneurs must eye beyond local markets and devise quality-enhancing strategies to ensure international standards for their products and earn consumer trust across continents,” said the Chief Minister.
“Kerala contributes 75% of the country’s spices exports. By using new-age technologies, entrepreneurs must come up with a variety of products. The spices park can facilitate processing and value addition of spices and allied products in accordance with modern needs,” said the Chief Minister.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said that the next phase of the spices park will be completed within nine months.
Mini food parks
Mr. Rajeev said that a mini food park will be set up at Cheruthoni in Idukki within two years. “The steps to arrange ten acres of land for the mini-food park have been completed under the leadership of Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine,” said the Minister. The government had announced the setting up of ten mini-food parks in the Budget.
Mr. Augustine said the new spices park is the latest recognition for Idukki, which has the reputation of being the spice district of the State. “The government will make more such endeavours in a time-bound manner,” said Mr. Augustine.
Principal Secretary (Industries and Norka) Suman Billa, Kinfra Managing Director Santhosh Koshy Thomas, Udumbanchola MLA M.M. Mani, Devikulam MLA D. Raja, Idukki district panchayat president K.T. Binu, District Collector Sheeba George, MSME Development Institute (Thrissur) joint director G.S. Prakash and Kinfra general manager (projects) T. Unnikrishnan among others attended the function.
According to officials, the first phase of the Kinfra Spices Park has been set up on 15.29 acres of the State Department of Industries and Commerce at a cost of ₹20 crore. The park will be used for processing and value addition of spices and allied products. The park will market spice oil, food ingredients, spice powder, and other value-added products.
