KVIC to Promote Palm Products

The development of a country only takes place when all of the sectors of the country are performing well. The large scale industries of the country usually do not require any help. However, the small scale and medium-sized enterprises go through a lot of struggles and require external help to grow the business. The Government of India has established the KVIC, that is Khadi and Village Industries Commission, to promote businesses and palm products and boost employment in the country. The promotion of the sale of khadi articles is also one of the objectives of KVIC.

Palm 

The palm is a flowering plant which is a tree-like stemless plant. They have a form similar to that of a tree. Currently, there are about 2,600 known species of palm and around 181 genera. Most of the palm species grow in subtropical and tropical climates. The most distinguishable characteristics of palm trees are large evergreen leaves, which are arranged at the top of the stem and do not have any branches. The coconut tree is also one type of palm tree.

Palm products

Following are the various palm products obtained from the palm tree.

• The leaves of the palm tree could be used for making a box, baskets and also items like a coaster, laundry bins, bottle holders, etc.

• Palm oil: Palm oil is the most important product obtained from palm trees. It is a popular edible vegetable oil. The various everyday products that we use, such as lipstick, pizza dough, shampoo, detergents, chocolates, etc., all contain palm oil to some extent.

• Wax: The swag that is obtained from the palm trees is very suitable for making scented candles. Sustainable palm products with excellent results can be obtained from palm wax.

• Beverages: Many beverages can be made by using the palm tree, such as palm wine. It is a milky and alcoholic beverage obtained after fermentation of sap of different palm species.

Let us now learn about the KVIC.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is KVIC in full form. It is one of the statutory bodies of the Indian constitution. The Ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises supervise Khadi and Village Industries Commission. The KVIC was established as part of the Khadi and Village Industries Act of 1956. 

The objectives which the Khadi and Village Industries Commission intends to fulfil are given below.

• To perform activities that will result in boosting employment in India.

• The promotion and sale of Khadi articles is also the responsibility of KVIC.

• The areas of India which are underprivileged villages and rural areas should be empowered by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

Functions of KVIC

The following are the functions and duties of the  Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

• The planning, organising and implementing of programs for the development of  Khadi and Village Industries.

• Many agencies are involved in the rural development of khadi and village industries. They should be coordinated by the  Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

• The guidelines to comply with the product standards should be enforced by KVIC so that the production of ingenuine products does not occur.

• The projects, programs and schemes related to  Khadi and Village Industries developed should be empowered by the KVIC.

• Promotion of palm products by KVIC

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission has initiated the project to promote palm products such as Neera and Palm Gur. According to KVIC, Palm products hold great potential for creating employment in India. The project wants to promote Meera as a substitute for soft drinks. This will create employment opportunities for traditional trappers and Adivasis. The palm products promotion project of the  Khadi and Village Industries Commission was launched in Dahanu, situated in the Palghar district of Maharashtra. The state of Maharashtra contains over 5 lakh Palm trees. Neera is a nutrition-rich health drink which is to be extracted from Palm trees before the sun rises. It could serve as a healthy substitute for carbonated soft drinks. The Union Minister of MSME is trying to engage major businesses and industrialists to launch Neera as a commercial soft drink. Neera is also consumed in Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. Hence, Neera also holds great potential as an export commodity. Such are the efforts of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission to promote palm products. Neera and Palm Gur are KVIC  products for promotion.

Conclusion

The palm tree is a flowering tree which usually grows in tropical and subtropical regions. Various Palm products could be obtained from the palm tree-like palm oil, wax, beverages like Neera, baskets made from a palm tree, etc. The constitution of India has established various statutory bodies for various purposes. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is one such statutory body. The KVIC has initiated a project for the promotion of palm products like Neera and Palm Gur, which will boost countries’ employment. Neera could also replace carbonated soft drinks and has huge export potential.