Top scientists to attend spices seminar in Kozhikode

Top scientists and officials involved in management of spices would
be in Kozhikode to participate in the two-day national conference on
organic spices and aromatic crops from February 1.

Arecanut and Spices database and a souvenir are being released at the
conference to be held at Malabar Palace.

The event is a joint endeavour of government agencies and
non-governmental organisations (NGO) working in the field of spices
and arecanut, Dr. M. Tamil Selvan, Director-Directorate of Arecanut
and Spices Development and Dr. A.K. Sadanandan, agricultural scientist
and secretary, Biogreen India, announced at a press conference in
Kozhikode on Saturday.

The publications, Arecanut and Spices database and the souvenir, would
be an attempt to highlight the significance of organic agriculture
with special reference to Indian spices.

Scientists, researchers and senior bureaucrats like S.K. Pattanayak,
Joint Secretary - National Horticultural Mission, Government of India
and K.S. Money, Chairman, Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority, New Delhi are among the participants.

Among the scientists who are scheduled to speak at the technical
session on crop production are Dr. G.K. Veeresh, former Vice
Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, and Dr.
A.K. Sadanandan, former co-ordinator for Spices and secretary Biogreen
India.

Eco-friendly plant protection technologies to fight pests and control
diseases are among the subjects to be discussed.

Dr. V.A. Parthasarathy, Director - Indian Institute of Spices Research
(IISR), would chair the session on status of organic spices and
aromatic plants. Dr. K.S. Anil Kumar, Mission Director, State
Horticulture Mission, would be one of the speakers at this session.

There would be a separate session on accreditation and certification
and presentation of papers on government initiatives in National
Programme on Organic Production (NPOP) and certification in promoting
organic crop production.

An interface programme featuring farmers and scientists has also been arranged.

While Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development under the
Ministry of Agriculture is hosting the national seminar, Regional
Centre of Organic Farming, Bangalore, Indian Institute of Spices
Research, Kozhikode, Spices Board, Kochi, and Biogreen India and
Indian Society of Organic Agriculture, are also involved in organising
in the event. It will be inaugurated by Mayor M. Bhaskaran at a
function to be presided by Dr. K.V. Ahammed Bavappa, former Director
of Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod.