Kochi will Host an International Symposium on Plantation Crops from December 14-16

From December 14 to 16, the 24th International Symposium on Plantation Crops (PLACROSYM) will be held at Bolgatty Palace, with the topic “Coping with the Pandemic and Beyond: Research and Innovations in the Plantation Crops Sector.”

The conference, which will be organized by the Indian Cardamom Research Institute in Myladumpara, Idukki, will provide a common forum for interaction between scientists and stakeholders involved in the plantation crops industry.  

Purpose of International Symposium:

It will cover the current situation in the plantation industry, which is being hampered by the Covid outbreak, as well as the vagaries of climate, environment, and habitat, pesticide use difficulties, insufficient plantation labour, and high input costs.

The symposium is meant to pave the route for recovery from the crisis and to strengthen ties between industry and academia.

Tea, coffee, spices, rubber, coconut, areca nut, oil palm, cashew, cacao, and other commercially important plantation crops are among the main crops covered by the conference.

PLACROSYM began in 1978 and is held every two years under the auspices of several research organizations involved in plantation crop research and development in the country.

About Indian Cardamom Research Institute

Indian Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI) was established in 1978 as the research wing of Spices Board, headquarters at Myladumpara, Idukki District (Kerala) to undertake basic & applied research on small Cardamom.

To resolve the location-specific requirements, 2^nd Regional Research Stations were also set up at Sakleshpur in Hassan District of Karnataka and Thadiankudisai in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu during 1980.

The 3^rd Regional Research Station was established during 1981 at Gangtok, Sikkim to undertake research on Large Cardamom which is one of the most important cash crops of Sikkim state and Darjeeling District of West Bengal.