Karnataka announces package of Rs 150 cr for pomegranate, grape in Budget

Sat Feb 09 2019

 

The Government of Karnataka has announced a slew of support efforts to the horticulture sector, including a special package of Rs 150 crore to improve the economic conditions of pomegranate and grape growers.

 

Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, in his Budget 2019-20, said that the focus on horticultural products would also include a grant of Rs 20 crore to establish international standard mango produce processing units in Ramanagara and Dharwad districts, and tomato produce processing units in Kolar district with private partnership.

 

The government has also allocated a grant of Rs 2 crore for post-harvest management of horticultural produce and market encouragement-related activities under the private partnership model. There is also a grant of Rs 5 crore to encourage bee farming. Besides, a special package of Rs 6 crore has also been announced for the benefit of gherkin growers and to increase export turnover.

 

Under the state’s cooperation programme, it has envisaged fair prices for farm produce. The Raitha Kanaja Scheme, with a revolving fund, will provide minimum support prices (MSPs) to 12 notified farm products. It will open a permanent collection centre throughout the year in all Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) markets with a provisional grant of Rs 510 crore.

 

It has set aside Rs 50 crore grant for the implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme for tomato, onion and potato (TOP) produce. It will also encourage the  production of minor millets in the state. It has announced a grant of Rs 10 crore for providing profitable prices to six minor millets and formulation of marketing facilities in HOPCOMS (Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society), Nandini and other outlets.

 

It also said that there is grant made to the tune of Rs 160 crore for the establishment of quality analysis and processing units at Gadag, Haveri, Kundgol, Hubballi and Annigeri.

 

Further, a grant of Rs 5 crore for the establishment of 500 land operations co-operative societies in cooperative sector was made. An allocation of Rs 5 crore to purchase 500 automated milk storage machines for milk producers’ co-operative societies is also announced.

 

In order to enable good marketing practices, the government has made provisions to supply smart weighing machine systems to all 162 APMCs and change 18,000 market functionaries to the new system. It has also ensured the establishment of integrated scientific vegetable waste management units in five vegetable markets of the state at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Besides, there is also a reservation of 10 per cent and rebate of 50 per cent in the allotment of sites, godowns, shops, shops-cum-godowns in the APMCs to farmer-producer organisations (FPOs).

 

Source: http://www.fnbnews.com/