A National-level webinar on Kamalam Fruit Production and Value Addition was organized on 25.09.2024 by the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Kamalam, under the aegis of the ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru for attracting youth towards kamalam fruit farming & entrepreneurship. The event was sponsored by MIDH, GoI and conducted in association with Karnataka Exotic Fruit Farmers Association (KEFA) & Deccan Exotics FPO, Hyderabad. There was active participation of scientists, researchers, farmers, and entrepreneurs from all over India in the webinar. There were 691 registrations, with 2617 views on you tube live streaming and 125 zoom participants.
The inaugural address by Dr. T.K. Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR highlighted the importance of Kamalam fruit as a high-value fruit with immense potential in both domestic and international markets. He emphasized the institute’s ongoing efforts in enhancing production practices and developing value-added products from Kamalam, catering to the growing demand for exotic fruits in India.
The webinar consisted of multiple technical sessions, covering a wide range of topics related to Kamalam fruit production, post-harvest management, and innovative value addition techniques shared by progressive farmers and young entrepreneurs excelling in the field of dragon fruit cultivation viz. Dr. Srinivas Rao, Deccan Exotics FPO, Hyderabad; Mr. Arun, KEFA, Karnataka; Mr. GopiSagar dragon fruit farm, Hosur; Vishal Mahindra Gada, M/S. Maisha Fruits, Gujarat; Mr. Vijayan, Vaisakh Gardens, Kerala; Mr. M A Chiradeep, Kerala; Dr. C. K. Narayana, Principal Scientist, ICAR-IIHR, Bangalore; Dr. Madhukar Potdar, President, MDFA, India.
The event provided an excellent platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration between researchers and practitioners, laying the foundation for future developments in Kamalam production and value addition. The webinar underlined the significance of Kamalam as a "super fruit" in India’s horticultural landscape and the need for sustained efforts in research, production, and value addition to fully harness its potential. The webinar was organised by Dr. M. Sankaran, Head, Division of Fruit Crops, Dr. G. Karunakaran, PI, CoE Kamalam, and co-ordinated by Dr. R. Senthil Kumar, Dr. V. Sankar, Dr. S. Vijay Rakesh Reddy, Dr Linta Vincent, Dr.Anushma PL and Dr. Anupa T.
