Port Blair, Nov 5: The Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI) conducted a three-day training programme on “Scientific cultivation of Spices in the Island” at Gram Panchayat Hall, Wimberlygunj recently in association with KVK, Port Blair, funded by Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development Board (DASD), Kozhikode under the NHM project on spices. The training programme was inaugurated by Dr. S. Dam Roy, Director, CIARI as the chief guest. Altogether, 66 farmers attended the training programme from different villages like Wimberlygunj, Mannarghat, Kanyapuram and Malapuram.
In his address, Dr Roy briefed the farmers about the importance of spice crops in the Island which have a wide scope for cultivation in plantation based cropping system and requested them to implement all the technologies learnt by them in the training programme. The guests of honour, Mr Manickam, Pradhan, Wimberlygunj, Mr Bashir, Pradhan, Mannarghat, and Ms. Mariym Bibi, Member, Zilla Parishad gave brief note to the farmers with appreciation to CIARI for conducting such awareness programme with a request to extend the training programme to other villages.
Dr. R. K. Gautam, I/C, HOD, Division of Horticulture and Forestry in his remarks briefed the farmers about the livelihood opportunities that could be generated through cultivation of spices. During the inaugural session, the Chief Guest and Guests of Honour distributed the planting material of spices to the farmers. Various lectures were delivered on the package of practices, pest and disease problem, weed management, irrigation and post harvest processing of spices by the resource persons of ICAR-CIARI and KVK, Port Blair.
The programme was organized by the Course Director, Dr. K. Abirami, Scientist, Division of Horticulture and Forestry and the Course Coordinators Dr. S.K. Zamir Ahmed, Pr. Scientist, Dr. V. Baskaran, Senior Scientist, Dr. V. Damodaran, Senior Technical Officer and Mr. L. B. Singh (SMS Horticulture). A field visit was arranged to the Sippighat farm of CIARI where the trainees were given demonstration on propagation techniques and harvesting and processing of different spice crops. At Sippighat farm, based on the requirement of farmers, planting material of Black pepper, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon were distributed to the farmers. Dr. V. Damodaran, ACTO, ICAR-CIARI, proposed the vote of thanks.
