The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Stress on better marketing to promote mustard

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Friday, Apr 01, 2005

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Stress on better marketing to promote mustard

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MARCH 31 . Experts participating in an international conference on rapeseed mustard, which ended here on Tuesday, underlined the need for collaborative efforts, contract farming and an improved marketing strategy to promote mustard as a leading oilseed crop. The beneficial attributes of mustard oil on the health care front were also highlighted during the two-day meet.

The event, organised by the Mustard Research and Promotion Consortium (MRPC) in collaboration with the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM), was attended by agricultural scientists, economists, public health experts and representatives of industry from all over the country, while three delegates from China also presented their findings.

The former Rajasthan Chief Secretary, M.L. Mehta, inaugurating the conference, said all efforts should be made for improving the quality, quantity and productivity of the mustard crop to meet the challenge posed by cheaper oils. He called upon the mustard producers, farmers and processors to make integrated efforts to reduce the cost and increase the production of the oilseed.

The Director General of NIAM, Anurag Bhatnagar, said the provisions of this year's Union Budget would help improve agricultural marketing, while the allocation of greater infrastructure and subsidies would support the indigenous crops. He pointed out that a prudent marketing strategy would improve the cost-benefit ratio of mustard crop and make it profitable for the cultivators.

The deliberations in the conference also focused on the new trends in the international trade, priority areas for research in oilseed production, post-harvest management, advances in biotechnology and new avenues for mustard processors. The scientific sessions in the meet were devoted to crop improvement, quality control, value addition and health and nutritional aspects.

S.C. Manchanda, former professor of Cardiology in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, said the use of Indian mustard oil could contribute significantly to check the increasing epidemic of coronary heart disease. He pointed out that mustard oil was very low in saturated fatty acids, rendering it an ideal cooking medium.

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