4th March 2025, Sri Vijaypuram
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Dr Eaknath B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CIARI), and Smt R. Karthika Devi, a young entrepreneur from South Andaman.
ICAR-CIARI, dedicated to developing farmer-friendly technologies, has been working on innovations relevant to both island and mainland farmers. Cinnamon, a valuable spice used in flavoring, medicine, and the fragrance industry, is largely imported to meet domestic demand, which amounts to approximately Rs 900 Cr annually. To reduce this reliance, there is a need to promote cinnamon cultivation in India. However, the labor-intensive harvesting process has deterred many farmers.
The traditional harvesting method, which involves scraping the outer bark, rubbing the stems, and carefully removing the inner bark, requires skill and adds to harvesting costs. No suitable tools are available in the market, and the traditional methods often lead to quality loss.
To address this, ICAR-CIARI researchers Dr Ajit Arun Waman and Dr Pooja Bohra developed the Dweep CinnRub—a user-friendly cinnamon bark rubbing tool that saves time and energy. The tool is expected to benefit existing cinnamon cultivators in coastal and island states, as well as regions where cinnamon cultivation is expanding.
The technology was licensed to Smt R. Karthika Devi, who plans to mass-produce the tool and make it widely available.
(Source: ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Sri Vijaypuram)
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