Proposal to extract silicon from rice husk will boost farmers' economy: MRK Panneerselvam

TIRUCHY: Agriculture minister MRK Panneerselvam on Friday said that the State government has charted out a plan to produce value-added products from rice husk by extracting silicon and said that it would generate huge income for farmers.

The proposal to be executed at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore has been presented before the Chief Minister MK Stalin, he said.

Inaugurating the conference on food processing at the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Thanjavur, the minister said the State government has been creating an agricultural revolution and playing a pivotal role in implementing technology for the benefit of ryots. As the government is more concerned about the livelihood of the farmers and committed to developing their economic status, several developmental projects are being introduced, he added.

As a part of the farmer-friendly project, the State government has decided to establish a unit extracting silicon from rice husk, which would be a value-added product, MRK Panneerselvam said. “This will give the farmers an additional income," said the minister. He urged the farmers to learn the technology introduced at the conference and apply it to improve their livelihood.

While addressing the meeting, Industries Minister TRB Rajaa said Chief Minister MK Stalin had introduced a separate budget for agriculture, taking into consideration their exclusive needs. The government has been working on the one trillion dollar economy goal and successfully moving forward to achieve it, he added. “The Union government has introduced projects worth Rs 327 crore in the food processing industry. Tamil Nadu will play a major role in the country’s economic growth as the State has been excelling in every field. We are at the forefront of vehicle production, electronics, textiles, leather products, and tyre manufacturing,” said Rajaa.

He also said that the food parks would be established in Tindivanam, Theni and Manapparai while an Agricultural Industrial centre would be established in Thanjavur with the support of Godrej industries, added the minister.