Central govt clears Rs 85 cr horticulture project for Karnataka

The National Horticulture Mission (NHM), set up under the Union ministry of agriculture to promote horticulture across the country, has approved a proposal from the Karnataka horticulture directorate to implement an integrated horticulture project in the state.

The state government will get a package of Rs 250 crore to implement the project on a mission mode over three years. As part of the project, the state horticulture directorate will get Rs 85 crore in the first year, commencing October 2005, Rs 86.51 crore in the second year and Rs 90.90 crore in the third year.

Karnataka is the third state in the country to secure approval from the National Horticulture Mission to undertake a project of this nature, after Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The project will also be undertaken during the 11th Five Year Plan, director of horticulture G K Vasanthakumar said.

Under the mission it is proposed to take up integrated development of various horticulture crops like fruits, vegetables, spices and floriculture and provide micro-irrigation facilities for these crops. The horticulture directorate also aims to promote organic farming across the state.

The project is aimed at providing end-to-end solutions for farmers in the state starting from improved production methodologies to post-harvest techniques, marketing and packaging know-how. Farmers will be encouraged to implement new farming techniques based on research conducted by the state agriculture universities and horticulture department labs.

"The approval of the mission mode project by the Union agriculture ministry will help us (horticulture directorate) carry out a major development strategy for horticulture sector in the state," Vasanthkumar told Business Standard.

The aim is to double horticulture production in the state from the present 118.20 lakh tonnes by 2011-12.

The horticulture directorate aims to increase the area under cultivation for each of the crops identified by the project proposal, with the following investments "" fruits Rs 6.35 crore, vegetables Rs 17.50 crore, spices Rs 3.93 crore, cashewnut Rs 4.71 crore, floriculture Rs 4.54 crore, aromatic plants Rs 5.60 crore, and mushroom Rs 62 lakh.

The directorate will spend Rs 17.70 crore to promote organic farming across the state. Other components proposed under the project include integration of bio-technology, plant protection measures, development of farms and nurseries, human resource training and mission management.

Karnataka's strengths in the horticulture sector are mango, pomegranate, grapes, banana, pineapple, onion, chilli, gherkin, tomato and ginger. "Our aim is to make Karnataka a model state in the horticulture sector," he said.

It is also proposed to promote processing and marketing agencies in both the public and private sector. A new co-operative society is being proposed to be set up based on the model of NDDB for horticulture in the state. A central monitoring cell is also being set up in Bangalore to coordinate works.