Rural, cottage industries to breathe easy by next week

Production of jaggery, cooking oil, match sticks, palm products, pottery, crackers and handicrafts will slowly pick up in the current week, said an informed official who is part of the state expert committee monitoring the lockdown measures.

The committee is clear with its recommendations and even industrialists want the lockdown to continue till pandemic is controlled. In the case of rural industries, most of them are associated with agriculture, horticulture, agroforestry, forestry, handicrafts and livestock sector.

For these sectors, necessary clearances are given, and the agriculture department is now actively serving the farmers and the rural industries, the official said. “There is a shortage of instant food mixes like jam, pickle, sweet mixers, juice essence and the production has crippled due to lockdown. This is a key area related to cottage industries and the traders involved in such products should now be allowed so that food item will be available when the lockdown is removed,” said M Jothi, a wholesale trader dealing packaged foods.