ICAR-NISA was established in 1924 as Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums, in Ranchi, Jharkhand. It was renamed in 2022 as ICAR-NISA and comes under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Secondary Agriculture
- Secondary agriculture includes the value addition of primary agricultural products as well as other agriculture-related activities like beekeeping, poultry farming, agricultural tourism etc.
- It refers to all practices/processes that convert agricultural produce, residues and by-products into high value commodities for pharmaceutical, industrial, medicinal and specified food uses.
- Secondary agriculture is a broad term including both food and non-food processing.
- Examples: Extraction of vitamins from grains and oil from rice bran, production of jaggery from sugarcane, cottage scale unit for making jams, pickles etc.
- Growth Potential:
- Consumer demand for value-added products like ready-to-eat and functional foods.
- Requirement for use of unconventional renewable agro-bio resources.
- Large quantities of agricultural byproducts.
Significance of Secondary Agriculture
- Environmentally sustainable: Crop residues and agricultural waste can be utilized properly instead of being burnt or dumped.
- Farmer’s Income: Better economic returns from activities like beekeeping, lac culture, etc.
- Value Addition: Enhances shelf life and increases total productivity.
- Cottage Industry: Promotes agriculture/rural and cottage industries and usage of technology.
Challenges of Secondary Agriculture
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