The QRT had an Interaction Meeting with Stakeholders in the Committee room at 11.15 am on 01/07/2019. The meeting was attended by the Chairman and members of QRT and the following holders:

Shri. Tirukkattupalli S. Sundaram, Thanjavur Dt.,
Shri. G. Ajeethan, General Secretary, TNBPCL,
Shri. A. Subramanian Director, TNBPCL & Madhur Bananas, Thottiam
Shri. A. Sivakumar, M/s. K P Enterprises, Trichy
Shri. Karthick Kumar, M/s. KRL Foods, Namakkal
Er. Raja Manikantan, Assistant Professor, KNCET, Thottiam
Dr. Ravindra Naik, Head, CIAE (RS), Coimbatore

Highlights of QRT team and Stakeholders meeting on 1st July 2019

In the QRT & Stakeholders Interactive Meeting held at the ICAR- NRCB, Trichy, stakeholders from different spectrum of banana. Mr. G. Ajeethan, General Secretary, TNBGF recalled the close association and the excellent rapport for the successful transformation of banana industry in the country through combating pest and diseases. The intervention under the PPP mode by which a successful sea protocol was developed for sea voyage of Grand Naine to Italy with the superior technology of NRCB was highlighted by him. He urged the QRT to recommend for Incubation cum Export Promotion cell at the institute with adequate funds.

Mr. Shaker Nagarajan, President, TN Hill Banana Growers’ Association recalled the guidance and services of the institute to get the GI tag for Virupakshi, a hill banana variety. Dr. Ravindra Naik, CIAE (RS) and Er. Rajamanikandan, KNCET elaborated their association with institute in developing various instruments/machineries such as Cable way conveyor, juice extractor, plates from pseudostem, Banana shredder, slicer cum dicer, twisting and winding, paring device and pseudostem injector. The entrepreneurs Mr. Sivakumar, KP Enterprises, Trichy and Mr. Karthikumar, M/s. KRL Foods, Namakkal highlighted about the supply and demonstration of banana fibre extractor machines in different states and the transformation in developing and supply of banana-based products worth Rs. 22 crores worth. Mr. Thirukkattupalli S. Sundaram asked the QRT to facilitate the farmers by providing right inputs to supply quality produce for domestic market. Dr. K. V. Peter, Chairman QRT appreciated all the stakeholders and the NRCB for the greater handholding and wished all for a greater achievement in the future. In nutshell, all the entrepreneurs overwhelmingly expressed their happiness over the service of ICAR- NRCB in different walks of banana cultivation and utilization.