Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates Spices Park in Idukki

New Delhi [India], October 14 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday inaugurated the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation Spices Park at Muttom, in Idukki district.
The chief minister said rising demand for value-added products will help industrial parks in Kerala grow fast and facilitate the success of small and medium enterprises through stronger competence in the global market.
Entrepreneurs must look beyond local markets and devise quality-enhancing strategies to ensure international standards for their products and earn consumer trust across continents, he noted, after inaugurating the Spices Park.
"By using new-age technologies, entrepreneurs must come up with a variety of products. The Spices Park can facilitate processing and value addition of spices and allied products in accordance with modern needs," Vijayan has said.
The Spices Park has been raised on a 15.29-acre plot by the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA). Its inauguration comes just six months after KINFRA opened a mega food park at Cherthala for seafood processing and export, and is readying a Coconut Industrial Park at Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode district and Wayanad Coffee Park in Kakkavayal.
The absence of a market chain and inability to find new markets has been a challenge for the food processing industry in Kerala, Vijayan said.
"To overcome this problem, the government will guarantee markets for farm products by facilitating the intervention of the cooperative sector in agriculture marketing," he pointed out, recalling that the state budget has earmarked Rs 35 crore for this purpose.
Minister for Industries, Coir and Law P Rajeeve said the second phase of the Spices Park will be completed in nine months. Authorities have decided to develop a food-processing park at Cheruthoni, 60 km east of here, on a ten-acre plot allotted by the Water Resources Ministry.
The work on KINFRA's Petrochemical Park at Ambalamugal near Kochi will be completed next year as per schedule. Ahead of its formal launch, certain facilities have become functional at the park, he noted, adding that five KINFRA parks feature among the best 12 in south India.
KINFRA mobilised Rs 1,834 crore investments during the present government's tenure so far, generating 25,601 jobs. Having already sanctioned 11 private industrial parks, the government is aiming to open 30 more this financial year. This will mean 500 acres for industrial parks across the state, Minister Rajeeve added. (ANI)