Agriculture gets Rs 40 cr boost

The state in collaboration with National Horticulture Mission has decided to put up large volume hubs at Kurukshetra.

Remuneration from agriculture is likely to increase manifold in Haryana. The state government has decided to invest Rs 40 crore in the upgrade of commodities and vegetable markets.

The Agriculture Marketing Board is exploring possibilities of developing agriculture Hubs by integrating fruits, vegetables and commodities markets.

Talking to Business Standard, Chief Administrator Haryana Agriculture Marketing Board Navraj Sandhu said the board was in the process of setting up 'Model Mandis' which would have a farmers' market, a whole salemarket and a clean and organised retail market for the consumers. Rohtak, Karnal and Hissar would be the districts to have the Model Mandis in the first slot.

Under the new concept value added services like washing and cleaning of produce, sorting and grading facilities, cold chambers, recycling of organic waste and rain water harvesting would be provided in the location of mandi to provide better returns to the farmers here.

She said it was imperative for the Board to take this initiative as the buyer in the market looks for better quality and hygienic products.

The farmers in Haryana were getting less returns on cotton crop as the trash content was high. So the board constructed markets for cotton produce with platforms that can keep the crop clean and reduce the trash content. "Our endeavour is to make value addition to the output of farmers so that they get the maximum returns of their hard work", said Sandhu.

To encourage the corporate participation and promote direct linkage of farmers to the agro-processing units, the board has been organising the seminars for the farmers cultivating cotton, mushrooms, kinnow and carrots. This has helped in apprising the farmers about the quality crop required by the industry.

The Board is also educating the farmers through the Agri Business and Information Centres in Sirsa and Hissar.

According to Sandhu it was important to educate farmers before roping in corporate sector for contract farming in the state because the farmers need to have a level of understanding before working under the guidelines of a private entrepreneurs.

So the government is running Agri Clinics functioning through the agriculture department to update the farmers about the trends and innovations taking place in agriculture.

She informed that the deliberations with the National Commodities Exchange and Multi Commodities Eechange were in the advance stage for the future trading in the state.

The state in collaboration with National Horticulture Mission has decided to put up large volume hubs at Kurukshetra for potato, Jhajjar for onion and Sirsa for kinnow.