Kerala's Vaiga 2023 Programme Promotes Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Value-Added Products

It provides support and resources to agricultural entrepreneurs in Kerala, with the goal of creating sustainable agriculture-based businesses and increasing agricultural production in the state.

The programme is designed to help agricultural entrepreneurs by providing them with access to resources such as detailed project reports and loans. Specifically, the agriculture department has helped fifty agricultural entrepreneurs develop project reports totalling Rs 30.15 crore. Canara Bank has agreed to provide loans to these entrepreneurs to help them start their businesses. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has also been involved in the programme, providing financial support and expertise.

In addition to financial support, the programme also helps entrepreneurs develop value-added products from agricultural produce. The agriculture minister, P Prasad, has stated that value-added products have helped farmers earn more income. As such, the programme provides guidance on how to develop such products, as well as access to incubator experts and economics professors from the Kerala Agricultural University.

The Vaiga 2023 programme includes a DPR (Detailed Project Report) lab, which is focused on science and technology-related projects. This lab brings together scientists, finance experts, agriculture infrastructure fund representatives, agriculture department officials, incubator experts, and financial institution experts from NABARD. The DPR lab works with agricultural entrepreneurs to develop detailed project reports for their businesses.

The programme has been successful in promoting entrepreneurship in agriculture and increasing agricultural production in Kerala. As evidence of this success, the agriculture minister stated that the 'Kerala Agro' brand, which comprises 65 agricultural products, has been launched online and has become a successful initiative.

The programme has also exceeded expectations in terms of forming farmers' collectives, with 26,000 units being formed instead of the original goal of 10,000. The Vaiga 2023 programme is a government initiative in Kerala aimed at promoting entrepreneurship in agriculture. ​

The programme provides financial support, resources, and guidance to agricultural entrepreneurs, with a focus on developing value-added products from agricultural produce. The programme has been successful in promoting entrepreneurship in agriculture and increasing agricultural production in Kerala.