The growth rate in the agriculture sector was low when the LDF Government assumed office. However, the State has come a long way, according to Minister for Agriculture V.S. Sunil Kumar.
He was speaking after declaring Kasaragod as a full crop insurance district at the Kanhangad town hall here on Friday.
The Minister said farmers in the State should be able to turn agricultural produce into value-added products. “Every farmer must become an entrepreneur. We should be able to convert at least 50% of crops into value-added products,” he added.
He said more youngsters were taking up agriculture as a profession and applying their innovative ideas in the sector, which had resulted in the setting up of agriculture start-ups and processing units.
With young farmers turning entrepreneurs, various products made from spices and coconut were available in the market today, he said.
The Government had a number of objectives, including completing farmers’ crop insurance, ensuring insurance coverage for all farmers, and providing Kisan credit cards to them to ensure fair credit.
The next objective was to become self-sufficient in vegetable production, the Minister said.
