The Hindu : 'Vegetable production generates more farm income'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 19, 2003

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National

'Vegetable production generates more farm income'

By G. Venkataramani

S.Shanmugasundaram

Chennai July 18. "Vegetable production is booming across Asia, and this sector provides three times more job per hectare than rice. Vegetable production supports agri-business and related service industries, thereby creating more economic opportunities in the developing countries," said S. Shanmugasundaram, Deputy Director-General-Research (DDG-R) of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC), Taiwan.

Vegetable-based industries are the engine for economic growth and employment generation in rural areas, and they lay a solid foundation for development of managerial capacity in the young and emerging entrepreneurs, said Dr. Shanmugasundaram in a recent interview. "Vegetable production also diversifies and generates more farm income than other agricultural commodities," he said.

Dr. Shanmugasundaram, an alumnus of the Madras Agricultural College, Coimbatore, took over as the first DDG-R of AVRDC after serving the organisation for over three decades in various capacities. The new position was created in order to bring in greater efficiency in the operations of AVRDC, which is a non-profit research centre committed to improving nutrition and reducing poverty through vegetable research and development.

"In South Asia alone, the production of vegetables rose at an average of 5.3 per cent per annum in the last two decades. The yields per hectare also increased significantly due to improved technologies and better management strategies. About 790 million tonnes of vegetables are grown all over the world, and nearly half of that, 386 million tonnes, are produced in China. India, with a production of 78 million tonnes of vegetables produced annually, tops the list of major producers in South Asia," points out Dr. Shanmugasundaram.

Ironically, in spite of all the bright aspects and plenty of opportunity to grow further, there is severe short supply of vegetables in most Asian nations, including India. Over two billion people, most of whom are women and children, suffer due to severe malnutrition and micronutrients-deficiency.

The micronutrients such as iron and zinc and the vitamins are abundant in leafy vegetables, and by making available quality vegetables to the needy the anomaly could be set right, he said.

A major limitation to vegetable production in Asia is post-harvest damage. Studies showed that the post-harvest losses could be as high as 60 per cent in cabbage and tomato, and 50 per cent in the case of head lettuce and cauliflower.

"A number of improved post-harvest technologies and management practices have been developed in different research institutes, but most of these techniques are beyond the means of small farmers of Asia. In a new initiative, the AVRDC is developing a post-harvest programme that will result in low-cost, pre-and post-harvest technologies and processes for small farmers. It will also help enhance the post-harvest skills of producers, wholesalers and the retailers," said Dr. Shanmugasundaram.

The major focus of the AVRDC's research platform for action is to empower the small farmers to adopt knowledge-based technologies. It has developed new varieties of vegetables of higher yields, and developed farmer and environment-friendly production technologies to ensure safer (pesticide-free) vegetables to the consumers.

The centre serves as a catalyst to build international, inter-disciplinary partnerships to further research on topical issues, and to generate and disseminate international public goods that address the economic and nutritional needs of the poor.

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