ADVICE: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh (left) and P.P. Prabhu, Chairman, Indian Institute of Plantation Management, speaking to students, in Bangalore on Friday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh on Friday said the plantation sector in the country, next only to agricultural and handloom sectors in employment generation, is in deep crisis.

Insufficient investment, lack of application of latest technology and competition from emerging plantations of smaller countries have been some of the factors threatening India's position in the global plantation produce market, Mr. Ramesh said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 6th batch of Postgraduate Diploma in Agri Business and Plantation Management (PGD-ABPM) at the Indian Institute of Plantation Management here.

Mr. Ramesh said owing to the crisis, he was attempting to heighten public awareness about plantation sector in all circles and spending more time on this sector in his ministry. And in the eyes of his colleagues, he was paying a "disproportionate" amount of time on this sector, Mr. Ramesh said.

The Minister said small countries such as Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Vietnam and East African countries were emerging as main competitors for India's plantation produce in the global market, while the country's plantation produce remained at 1.5 per cent of the total exports. There is a need to channelise more investment in to the sector besides deploying latest science and technology into the field to face the international competition. There is a need for effective public-private partnership, he pointed out.

Emphasising the social significance of the plantation sector, Mr. Ramesh said the sector was the one which employed more people from weaker sections of society. More than 60 per cent of workers were women, he noted and said barring a few corporates, majority of plantation owners were small holders. Commending the efforts of IIPM for imparting management skills in the agricultural and plantation sector, the Minister said the institute, only one of its kind in South Asia, had added value to these sectors.

IIPM Chairman P.P. Prabhu said the institute which was in the sixth year of existence, was involved in research besides imparting management education. The institute planned to offer distance learning programmes and intended to collaborate with institutes of repute from abroad, Mr. Prabhu added. IIPM Director (in-charge) V.G. Dhanakumar, members of the Board of Governors were present.

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