Abstract

Agro processing activities in rural areas can add value to the commodity by integrating primary production and food processing systems, increase the profitability and sustainability of production systems and also generate rural employment. Primary processing of turmeric by conventional method is laborious and time consuming in the rural areas. The time taken and the drudgery involved is more in this process and due to labour shortage, the farmers’ face difficulties in carrying out the boiling operations during the turmeric harvesting season. Considering the bottle-necks in large scale turmeric processing in rural areas, it was found necessary to promote entrepreneurship development among the rural youth by custom hiring of the improved machinery for turmeric boiling and polishing. An enterprising village youth group was identified for carrying out the activities under Agro Processing Centre. The rural youth group had initiated the revenue generation activity by means of custom hiring of the turmeric processing equipment viz., steam operated turmeric boiler and turmeric polisher in and around the selected area of Coimbatore district where turmeric is predominantly grown. The group generated revenue of Rs. 251870 in two years by custom hiring of turmeric processing machinery.

Keywords: APC, Turmeric processing, Turmeric boiler, Turmeric polisher, Custom hiring