Category Archives: Business & Economy

Designer eggs sans cholesterol concerns

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Designer eggs being produced by the Kisan Jyothi Farmers Club at Vaduvanchal in Wayanad.
Designer eggs being produced by the Kisan Jyothi Farmers Club at Vaduvanchal in Wayanad.

A group of farmers come out with designer eggs at Vaduvanchal in Wayanad

Though eggs have been considered as the complete food with most of the nutrients necessary for the body, concerns over its cholesterol content have kept many at bay.

Now, a group of farmers under the NABARD-supported Kisan Jyothi Farmers Club (KJFC) at Vaduvanchal in Wayanad have come out with designer eggs, which they claim will settle the apprehension once and for all. They say their ‘Omega’ brand eggs solve the riddle and set to rest doubts of the cholesterol-conscious.

“Designer eggs are those in which the content has been modified from the standard egg. The technology of designer egg involves manipulating nutrients in poultry feed and fortification of egg with micro-nutrients and vitamins,” Anil Zachariah, deputy project director of ATMA, Wayanad, the certifying agency, said.

Made using scientific method

Dr. Zachariah said the eggs were produced through a scientific method adopted for nurturing the layer with right feed so that they laid high quality eggs.

“The composition of the feed leads to the desired composition of the eggs adding to its nutritive profile through enrichment in the diet, and not by use of drugs or hormones,” Sreeshitha, district technology manager, ATMA said.

“Eggs laid by hens fed on a diet of greens and insects contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than those produced by hens fed on corn,” Dr. Sreeshitha added.

“When the project was launched under the Farm Sector Promotion Fund programme of NABARD two months ago, we distributed ten BV380 strain chicks each to 66 families in the area,” N.S. Saji Kumar, assistant general manager, NABARD, said. Training and technical support were given by ATMA to the farmers, he added.

250 eggs a month for a family

“Now each family is getting an average of 250 eggs a month and we have entered into a memorandum of understanding with the WAYFARM farmer producer company to procure the designer eggs from the farmers at a price of Rs.6.50,” P. Hariharan, chief coordinator of the club, said. The company would market the produce through its retail shops, he added.

P. Balachandran, general manager, NABARD, handed over the first lot of eggs to P.A Sabu, managing director of WAYFARM, at Mananthavady on Wednesday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / E.M. Manoj  / Kalpeto – June 23rd, 2016

A magic fruit named Jackfruit

Agriculture, Business & Economy

 

JackfruitKERALA18jun2016

Thiruvananthapuram  :

A class X student has come up with a short film highlighting the health benefits of jackfruit titled ‘Chakka Paranja Katha’. The 20-minute long film was scripted and directed by Aromal Sathyan, a student of Government Higher Secondary School, Anchal West, Kollam.

The young director said he got the idea after seeing how the locals disregarded the fruit in Kerala where it grows in plenty. The fruit is a favourite in other states where it is a rarity, he says.

It tells the story of a child who does not like jackfruit. But his attitude changes when he comes to know that the fruit would help one to maintain his youthful looks and prevent various ailments. The film describes the health benefits of jackfruit in detail. Its qualities to cure high blood pressure and diabetes have also been pointed out with supporting information.

The film takes one through the history of jackfruit cultivation and how it reached the country. Also mentioned is the popularity for the fruit in countries like like Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Another highlight is a melodious song on the health benefits of the fruit. Aswathi Ramjeesh has rendered the song. The film ends with a message to plant one jackfruit tree in every household.

The film was shot in the Agriculture farms in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts. Krishnapriya, Neethumol, Aswathi Rajeesh and Sajitha are the actors.  Aromal’s brother Adwaith Sathyan too dons a role.

Abhishan is the cameraman of the film.

Aromal Satyan had earlier hit the news when he conceived and directed short films like Mizhi Thurakoo and Blue Gold. Mizhi Thurakoo, an awareness film on the need to protect environment, had won the award instituted by Kerala Forest Protective Staff Association. “Blue Gold” was exhibited by the State Disaster Management Authority in different places as part of its awareness campaign.

Aromal was a jury member in the children’s film festival held in the capital. He also leads classes on environment awareness in schools.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / June 17th, 2016

VSSC former director MC Dathan to take charge as scientific advisor to Kerala CM

Business & Economy, Leaders, Science & Technology

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram  :

The state government has chosen distinguished space scientist of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and former director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) Padma Shri M Chandra Dathan as the scientific advisor to the new Chief Minister Pinnarayi Vijayan.

It is perhaps for the first time in the history of state that a chief minister who is also in-charge of the science and technology portfolio appoints a space scientist as advisor on scientific matters.

When contacted, Chandra Dathan told TOI, “Had met the chief minister three days back as invited. When the chief minister of the state had sought the consent to appoint me as scientific advisor, I agreed. I am yet to receive a formal letter of appointment and am told that I will receive it by Monday”.

Further, Dathan said, “I might even take charge on Monday. Based on discussions with the chief minister and his guidance, priority areas for scientific development in the state will be looked into and will work on it accordingly”.

Dathan began his illustrious career in 1972 joining ISRO where he worked on the SLV-3 project during its design phase and later on moved to solid propellant formulations. In 2000, he became the head of the ablative nozzle production unit and went on to become the chief executive of the Solid Propellant Plant for PSLV and GSLV boosters where he supervised the establishment of a new Solid Propellant Plant commissioned in 2008. From there he took over as director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in 2008.

During his tenure, Chandradathan contributed towards the improvement of production levels of solid boosters. In 2013 he was appointed director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). In July 2014, he was appointed as the director of VSSC and the same year, the nation had honoured him with Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution in the area of space research.

He has also been recognized with many accolades for his contribution by ISRO and many other organisations including the Management Leadership Award – 2014 by Trivandrum Management Association, an affiliate of All India Management Association.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / by Laxmi Prasanna / TNN / June 04th, 2016

Now, chicken soup to power your car

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

John Abraham of KVASU at the biodiesel plant set up on the premises of the Veterinary College at Pookode in Wayanad district.— PHOTO: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
John Abraham of KVASU at the biodiesel plant set up on the premises of the Veterinary College at Pookode in Wayanad district.— PHOTO: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A team of researchers of KVASU extract biodiesel from the wastes of slaughtered broiler chicken

Horsepower will stay, but the humble chicken may actually power your car, if a technology model developed at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) in Wayanad gets scaled up to viable commercial production.

For the last one year, a team of researchers led by John Abraham of the university’s School of Bioenergy and Farm Waste Management (SBFWM) have been quietly extracting biodiesel from the wastes of slaughtered broiler chicken, in a small Rs.12-lakh prototype plant.

Patent

For several months now, they have been field-testing this chicken-based fuel in their university’s old multi-utility vehicle (MUV), which goes all over the hill district. The team has applied for a patent on it on behalf of the KVASU, which is pending. The KVASU intends to play the role of technology provider.

The researchers have also run their biodiesel through tests at the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)’s quality control laboratory at its Kochi refinery. They said the tests confirmed that the fuel conformed to exacting BIS standards. Besides, the chicken-sourced biodiesel was also found to have a commendably higher cetane value of 72, as compared to 64 of petro-diesel, which means better efficiency, Dr. John added. It is relatively cheaper too. Even without economies of scale, the small pilot plant incurs a production cost of just around Rs.32 per litre for this fuel (while petro diesel costs Rs.55 or more). At the trial stage, it is being used at 50:50 ratio with petro diesel in normal, unmodified, diesel engines. But it could be used as the sole fuel with some engine modifications, Dr. John said.

With word trickling out, several innovative entrepreneurs, including registered slaughter waste collectors in the neighbouring Kozhikode Corporation, have approached the team for tapping the idea’s commercial potential. The team has already provided a project report for a plant for a consortium, which will be capable of processing up to 40 tonnes of slaughter waste and generating about 1,000 litres of chicken fuel a day. This project is to come up with the collaboration of the Kozhikode Corporation and the District Suchitwa Mission there.

Dr. John, whose doctoral thesis at the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in 2012 was on alternate fuels, said chicken-powered biodiesel had great potential. “In Kerala alone, about 5.3 lakh chicken are slaughtered daily. This means some 350 tonnes of slaughter waste every day, which pose a catastrophic threat to the environment.”

“If this waste is cooked at very high temperatures, 10 per cent of the volume turns extractable oil, another 30 per cent gets converted to animal and pet feed ingredients with 62 per cent protein content that costs a mere Rs.20 per kg to produce,” he said. Almost 96 per cent of this oil could be converted into biodiesel, while a small portion turned into glycerine, which could be used for making soaps and cosmetics, he added. About 10 kilograms of chicken wastes yield one litre of oil, on an average.

But why only chicken waste and not mutton or beef slaughter waste, when these have an equally huge availability in the State? “All ruminants have bio-hydrogenation pathways which saturate fats. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. But mono-gastric animals like chicken lack this pathway. Hence, more unsaturated fatty acids are available in their fats, which turn to oil at room temperature. Biodiesel can only be made from such oils,” Dr. John said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by E.M. Manoj / Kalpetta – May 29th, 2016

Fashion design students display their skills

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education

Design skills:Students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kannur, holding an exhibition as part of the Graduation Show 2016 at Mangattuparambain Kannur on Thursday.– PHOTO: S.K. MOHAN
Design skills:Students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kannur, holding an exhibition as part of the Graduation Show 2016 at Mangattuparambain Kannur on Thursday.– PHOTO: S.K. MOHAN

The campus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology-Kannur (NIFT-Kannur) has turned into a venue for the display of a large collection of thematic creative textile design products its students have done as part of their graduation project.

The exhibition showcases all the graduation projects and design collections of students of Master’s of Design, Fashion Management and Bachelor’s of Textile Design, Fashion Technology and Knitwear Design. The project works of 87 students of the institute are being showcased at the two-day exhibition that began on Thursday.

Among the items being displayed include apparel and home furnishing works and application of academic inputs for industry. Also displayed were some handicrafts products designed by the students.

Fashion trends

“The works being displayed feature the fashion design skills of our students and their application of latest technologies in the field,” said NIFT-Kannur Joint Director G. Ramesh Babu.

The collections are based on trend forecasts in the fashion world, he added.

A.G. Rao, Professor Emeritus, Industrial Design Centre, IIT-Mumbai, inaugurated the graduation ceremony.

The inauguration was followed by graduation award presentation and design collection fashion show by Knitwear graduating students of the institute.

source: http:// www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – May 28th, 2016

NABARD’s lead farm project launched at KVK, Peruvannamuzhi

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Science & Technology

Kozhikode :

ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Peruvannamuzhi launched Lead Enthusiastic Agriculture to Develop (LEAD) aided by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) here the other day.

The scheme envisages demonstrating latest production technologies of spices and vegetables in KVK farm using its technical support. Under the scheme, KVK will work as an Agriculture Incubation Center for farmers, who are ready to venture into scientific cultivation practices. A sum of Rs 7.30 lakh budget outlay has already been earmarked for the project execution.

A meeting of the beneficiaries of the project selected from different parts of Perambra block was held at KVK, where an action plan was prepared for the upcoming season.

Dr P Rathakrishnan, Programme Co-ordinator of ICAR-KVK , Peruvannamuzhi, during the interaction elaborated about the objectives of the project to participants and underlined that the project will help the farmers to gain confidence in adopting proven technologies evolved at research stations on a wider scale. He also added that the field areas of KVK will be used by them to showcase the recent technologies in vegetable and ginger cultivation.

Dr P S Manoj, SMS (Horticulture) and PI of the project also interacted with the participants to clear their doubts about the adoption of technology in farming.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / Sreedevi Chitharanjani, TNN / May 27th, 2016

‘Neera man’ Jose steps down after an eventful term

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Leaders, Nature

T.K. Jose
T.K. Jose

Jose helped set up new coconut farmer producer companies, besides turning around old ones

‘Neera man’ T.K. Jose, who helped bring the sweet drink made from coconut flowers out of the shackles of the Abkari Act to unleash its commercial potential, steps down as Chairman of the Coconut Development Board this week after an eventful tenure.

Over the last more than five years, Mr. Jose helped create new coconut farmer producer companies and turn around the old ones. He was instrumental in forming an army of coconut technicians, including Neera tappers, and tree climbers. He also laid down a roadmap for the growth of the business through value addition.

“The credit for pursuing the cause of Neera must go to the outgoing Chairman,” said V.K. Raju, former Associate Director of Research, Kerala Agricultural University, and an expert in Neera tapping.

Mr. Jose, an IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, joined the Coconut Development Board in May 2011 and immediately set about reviving the three-tier system of coconut farmers’ organisations. The outgoing Chairman also worked hard to bring Neera out of the Kerala Abkari Act.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – May 19th, 2016

Helmsman, who turned around a port, takes a bow

Business & Economy, Leaders

Paul Antony leaves the Cochin Port Trust with an operating surplus of Rs.70 crore in 2015-16.
Paul Antony leaves the Cochin Port Trust with an operating surplus of Rs.70 crore in 2015-16.

Paul Antony, who steered the course of the Cochin Port Trust through a phase of great financial troubles, completed his tenure at the helm on Monday.

The government is yet to appoint a new chairman though unconfirmed reports said a senior IAS cadre officer in the State was tipped to take over.

The outgoing chairman will join the government of Kerala at the end of May as Additional Chief Secretary after the new government takes over, sources said.

Crucial period

Mr. Antony, who was in-charge of the Port Trust for more than five years, assumed office at the crucial period immediately after the inauguration of the International Container Transshipment Terminal in February 2011.

The outgoing chairman thanked his former colleagues for the work they had done together even as he pointed out that the port itself had gone through a transformation internally with ERP being firmly established in all areas of the port’s operations.

Austerity measures

He recalled that the port had gone through a period of “tough austerity measures” with even benefits to employees and pensioners being restricted for a few months. “But we have come out stronger, with the whole-hearted cooperation of the employees and their unions”, he said.

He added that all the arrears to the employees had been paid.

Mr. Antony leaves the Port Trust with an operating surplus of Rs.70 crore in 2015-16, the highest since 1979-80. The port authority’s marketing initiatives under Mr. Antony also saw the ICTT crossing the four-lakh TEU-mark in 2015-16. The facility has come under fire for not achieving the target set for the first phase.

The period also saw the port authority beginning work on the Rs. 970-crore international ship repair facility jointly with the Cochin Shipyard using the Mattancherry wharf.

Work on the Rs. 240-crore multi-user-liquid terminal with a capacity to handle 4.1 million metric tonnes per annum in conjunction with IOC on Puthuvypeen island is underway.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – May 18th, 2016

On a roll

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Travel

Kunju'sJamRollsKERALA13may2016

More than 80 years after they were first made, Kunju’s Jam Rolls continue to attract customers with sweetness.

The box of jam rolls is tempting, unwrapping the butter-paper package inside is like unravelling a mystery. Each box holds a plump, deliciously roll of golden jam and sponge. Boxes such as this travel across the country, overseas too, often travelling on a ticket called nostalgia. The rolls, once called Kanjirapally home; and for those who grew up there it still is a slice of home.

The story of Kunju’s Jam Rolls harks back to more than 80 years when destiny led a young man K.K. Kunju, from Thrissur, to the El Dorado of the time, Ceylon as Sri Lanka was known then. Family legend has it that there, at Kandy, he learnt to bake. He returned to India, joining a bakery in Chennai until the lure of home brought him back to Thrissur which, at the time, had no place for his new skill. Friendly advice suggested Kottayam, its considerable Christian population well-versed in the ways of the British, of cake and bakes, recounts Kunju’s son K.K. Jayan.

Kottayam did not have much to offer, eventually settling in Kanjirapally and starting his business, which came to be known as SAC Bakery there. Among the many bakes at his bakery was the jam roll. Every country has its take on the confection, the most popular being the deep pink and yellow, strawberry jam roll.

It being unlikely, in the day, that he’d locally find strawberry for his jam, he looked at the abundant pineapple. Guided by pragmatism, he designed the pineapple jam roll. Not the only thing on the menu, “It became very popular and over time it is one of the things people came to SAC Bakery for,” says Jayan.

Those days they were just jam rolls; it is Jayan who branded them as Kunju’s Jam Rolls, “This is his recipe, so we branded it thus.” The packaging, in keeping with the times, too is his idea.

Jayan remembers the baker’s oven or the ‘borma’, which was in one part of his house. “One half of our house served as the production unit, where my mother would keep an eye on the production. A few processes have been mechanised but the ‘borma’ is wood fired, using coconut shells.” One of nine siblings, and the only son, despite an interest in food he didn’t want to get involved initially.

But when he got involved he went the whole hog. He researched various types of jam rolls, which has made him something of a minor expert on the subject, and now wants to extend the menu to include other flavours as well.” A baking unit in the city caters to the city’s requirements while the unit at Kanjirapally handles its production. “My octogenarian mother still keeps an eye on the work.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food / Shilpa Nair Anand / Kochi – May 12th, 2016

The mistress of spices

Business & Economy

Bobby Antony at her store PHOTO: THULASI KAKKAT
Bobby Antony at her store PHOTO: THULASI KAKKAT

For Bobby Antony who retails spice powders and mixes, the business is a result of a dedicated search for authentic flavours

It began with coriander, a spice whose distinct taste Bobby Antony had relished as a child. Once she began running her kitchen and buying packets of spice off the shelf, she missed the nostalgic taste of her aunt’s flavoured curries. “I could never find that taste of coriander in my curries,” she says with a smile sitting at Bobby’s Spice Tree, a condiments boutique she opened recently at Justice Krishna Iyer Road in Panampilly Nagar. Bobby’s venture has come at the end of three years after she began making her own concoctions and spice mixtures.

In search of that haunting taste she began visiting farmers and procuring whole spices and processing it manually — washing, drying, and pounding. Soon she was flooded with requests from “friends and cousins” to provide them clean and fresh spices. “It was by default that the volumes increased and I began thinking of business,” she says at the growth of her venture.

Today, Bobby has a whole range of spice powders and mixes that she produces and retails.

Her dogged search for the taste of real spices takes her through different interesting situations. Like a case where a cousin after having sambar at a friend’s wedding in Alappuzha called to tell about its delectable flavour. The sambar mix was made by the friend’s mother-in-law. Bobby sourced authentic proportions from her and created the spice powder, which she retails. The meat masala mix, an all purpose one that can be used with kadala, veg korma and even biriyani, is an exclusive recipe of her aunt Rajamma John.

In hindsight, Bobby narrates a little story from her childhood, which could be the reason she moved into business. “I was always drawn to the world of export and when my father got an offer to set up his dry cleaning unit in West Asia, I wished to go there and run it. But my father was disapproving of a girl venturing out in business. I felt so down at this,” she says adding that today the scene has completely changed. “I am talking to bhaiyyas in North India, procuring whole spices and sending the powdered form there. My husband has been a pillar of support. How much the times have changed for women,” she says.

It was the desire to grow in business that saw Bobby join courses on food processing, packaging and learning the nitty-gritty involved. She began contacting wholesalers in Guntur for large volumes. Soon the five kilos of spice that she made for home consumption grew to 500 kilos for retail. As business demands increased, Bobby took a mill on lease in Thykoodam and a small packaging unit near by. The work shifted from home to the mill. Moving ahead she introduced many new masalas mixes like Goan vindaloo mix, Chettinad curry powder, Tandoori and other North Indian masalas, Coorg pandi curry mix and such. She even introduced door delivery to city clients. Her gift boxes have Indian chai masala, vanilla cardamom tea and vanilla sugar.

Her husband suggested the name of her enterprise and helped her retail. Today she supplies spices to many city hotels.

Many teachers of St. Teresa’s Convent and St. Antony’s school are her regular customers, just as a few clients from Thrissur, where the spices are couriered to. Her clients from West Asia pick spices in large volumes. “Kochi is not a city for me. It’s a feeling, as they say about the city. I should contribute to it and I do so by providing unadulterated spices,” she says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food /  by Priyadershini S / Kochi – May 12th, 2016