Concept of Agro-Residue Based Industrial Complex in the Context of Rural Development

摘要

Over 600 million people live in rural areas of the country, nearly eighty per cent being categorized as absolutely poor. It is by sheer number of not for anything else the consideration of improving the lot of the poor becomes imperative. In this process, the rural area deserves greater attention, because of the simple fact that like any dynamic system, a sizable part of the country can not be left out of the orbit of development without jeopardizing its overall balanced growth. The impact of industrial development in the context of economic upliftment of rural India can not be ignored. Lack of technical innovations in production and post harvest technologies and non utilization of high tonnage of agro-residues for gainful recovery has distracted the rural folk from age-old agricultural activities, who migrate to industrial complexes generally located in metropolis. This uncontrolled migration in addition to social problems bring in disturbance to ecology on many occasions. Industrialization of rural sector has rightly been thought as means of economic development, since the post-independence days. With the technical know how of the Khadi and Village industries Commission several cottage and small scale industries have cropped up which are primarily based on agro and forest products. Another potential source for industrial growth which has not been adequately exploited is the agro-residues. This paper discusses in detail the availability of various agro-residues in India along with their composition, characteristics and possible modes of exploitation. Chemicals and allied products from rice residues, viz. Straw, husk and bran which constitute a sizable fraction of the total quantum of agro-residue, have been highlighted. Detailed flow sheets for the manufacture of rice bran oil from raw rice bran, furfural from rice husk and alcohol from rice straw are given, Some idea about the cost of manufacture of these agro-based products are also presented. The production statistics for agro-based chemicals is also mentioned. The concept of rice residue based industrial complex in the context of rural economic growth has been projected.