Curtains down for interactive AgriBusiness fest

CHENNAI: The two-day AgriBusiness Festival organised by the state Agriculture Department in association with Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) concluded on Sunday.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday inaugurated the festival, including the grand exhibition and seminar at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam.

Explaining about the festival, C Samayamoorthy, state agriculture production commissioner and secretary said that the AgriBusiness festival 2023 is a rare opportunity for farmers and agribusiness men.

“The primary objective of the Agribusiness festival is to promote the welfare of farmers. We have more than 100 exhibition halls here, which were installed by various farmers and agribusiness firms. Through this, the farmers got an opportunity to explore the latest technologies, innovations and farming practices. With access to improved machinery and equipment, farmers can increase their productivity and efficiency, leading to higher profits,” he added.

Farmers and farming industries exhibited their products in 176 stalls in the festival. Products of TNAU, NABARD, APEDA are also displayed for sale and demo. Officials and experts of the agri department have participated in the various seminars and given various tips for the farmers and students.

Officials from the Agriculture Department said that the department has decided to get GI tags for 15 products. It will apply for the tag soon. Already the government has got the GI tag for 16 products and the government has already applied for another 16 products. We hope that we will get more GI tags to save our future and identity.

In the AgriBusiness festival, various agricultural mechanical firms have displayed their products. Particularly, the Linga Agri Trading and Machinery of Coimbatore which have set-up various units for the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU), Agriculture Engineering department, TNAMB and ISRO have displayed their various new tools for farmers and farming entrepreneurs.

“The two-day sessions equip farmers and agri students like me with the necessary knowledge and skills to overcome challenges and enhance our agri business. Here we got an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, foster collaboration and learn from each other’s experiences,” said C Hema, an agriculture student from Coimbatore.