# Kerala Brand for value-added farm produce, CM announces 2026-08-17T14:48:44+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Kerala will market value-added farm produce under a unified 'Kerala Brand' to secure better prices for farmers, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced on Monday at the State-level Farmers' Day celebrations in Kalamassery, Kochi. The government will also explore exports through the Vizhinjam port. The Chief Minister said a new agriculture policy will be framed to help farmers tackle climate change and natural calamities. He announced a second round of land reforms by amending land rules, reopening closed plantations, and promoting tourism and multi-cropping without harming ecosystems. Steps taken in the first two months include ensuring dues for paddy farmers, raising rubber prices from Rs 200 to Rs 250 with a further hike to Rs 300 planned, and increasing crop loss compensation by 25%. The government will use AI and traditional methods to address wildlife attacks, the biggest threat to farming. The Oommen Chandy award was presented to seed conservator Cheruvayal Raman. ## Coverage - thehindu.com This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Kerala, Oommen Chandy, V.D. Satheesan, Vizhinjam port Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-brand-for-value-added-farm-produce-cm-announces/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-brand-for-value-added-farm-produce-cm-announces/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/