Spices Board urged to set up regional office in ASR district

Paderu (Asr District): District Collector A S Dinesh Kumar stressed the need for improving the quality and grading of forest raw materials to ensure remunerative price for tribal farmers.

He made these remarks during a workshop jointly organised by the Spices Board and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation at The Park Hotel in New Delhi on Friday.

In his address, the Collector highlighted the importance of creating an efficient ecosystem. He suggested collecting spices like pepper in clean conditions and adding extra value to them instead of simply selling them as they are. He pointed out that farmers often rely heavily on middlemen due to a lack of scientific knowledge.

Dinesh Kumar explained that adding value through grading, attractive packaging and branding makes it easier for small-scale producers, especially tribal communities, to access markets. He noted that value addition not only enhances consumer health and improves the livelihoods of tribal people but also reduces input costs and promotes export markets.

Given that the district has a spice trade worth crores of rupees, he called upon the Spices Board to provide end-to-end organisational support. He also stated that a regional office of the board should be established in Alluri District to facilitate this support.

Various dignitaries, including Pablo Jenkins from the World Trade Organisation, Dr AB Rema Shree from the Spices Board Research and Finance Department, and local farmers such as Dippal Devi, K Rajaratnam and G Anand participated.