Two-day national seminar on spices at Kumily from Jan 20

Spices Board will organise a two-day 'National Seminar on Spices' in Kumily in Idukki district from January 20, a release said here.
The event is being held under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) of the Ministry of Agriculture for spice growers in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The release said the objective of the seminar is to familiarise farmers with latest technologies for production/post harvest improvement of spices, to identify gaps in cultivation, processing and marketing and to draw a road map for development of spice production in the southern region.
Technical sessions would be led by experts from the Agriculture Ministry, Indian Institute of Spices Research, Central FoodTechnological Research Institute,Indian Cardamom Research Institute,Tamil Nadu Agriculture University,Kerala Agriculture University, Dr Y S R Horticulture University, University of Agriculture and Horticulture Sciences, NABARD, Kerala State Warehousing Corporation,State Horticulture / Agriculture Departmentsand spice exporters, it added.

Following the inaugural session, the Board would distribute the 'Small Cardamom Productivity Awards' for the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.
The award has been instituted by the Spices Board to recognise growers who achieved a high level of productivity in small cardamom.

The Board will also distribute enrollment certificates to Spices Producers Societies on the sidelines of the event.
An exhibition of spices and spice products will also be organised at the venue, the release added.
Idukki MP Joice George will inaugurate the seminar.
Kerala Assembly legislators, including Roshy Augustine, E S Bijimol, K K Jayachandran and S Rajendran, will be the Guests of Honour at the programme.