Higher funds to state under NHM

The Centre’s allocation to Karnataka under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) has gone up 44 per cent to Rs 256 crore for 2008-09 over the previous year. This area-based, regionally differentiated cluster development programme, initially confined to only 13 districts of the state, has now been extended to almost entire state with 23 districts included in the project.

The action plan for the state during the present year includes Rs 95 crore under the prime minister’s special package for the six suicide-prone districts, a rise of 81 per cent over the previous year.

The six districts covered under the PM’s package are Belgaum, Chikmagalur, Chitradurga, Hassan, Kodagu and Shimoga. The plan also includes a package of Rs 100 crore for establishing four modern private wholesale markets in Mysore, Hassan, Kolar and Belgaum districts, according to the state’s economic survey for 2008-09.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced in his budget speech that the government would spend Rs 100 crore for setting up a big market for horticultural produce in Belgaum during the year 2009-10. Another Rs 5 crore will be spent to establish a turmeric market, agriculture processing units and cold storage at Chamarajanagar, he said.

For the current year, NHM programmes have been extended to two more districts such as Chikkaballapura and Ramnagar to take the total number of districts under the mission to 23 districts. Out of the total allocation made for the year, the state horticulture department has so far spent Rs 73.37 crore including Rs 20.63 crore under PM’s special package up to the end of November 2008, the survey said.

The Centre launched the National Horticulture Mission during the 10th plan, in 2005-06. The thrust of the mission is to double horticulture production in the country through a cluster approach.

As part of the post-harvest linkages for the year 2008-09, the state government sanctioned 25 per cent subsidy to all other post-harvest management activities like functional infrastructure for collection and grading, construction of pack house, onion storage structures, cold storage, reefer van and rural markets.

In addition to this, the government has also sanctioned 50 per cent subsidy to improved fruit and vegetable mobile kiosk for the sale of horticulture produce. In the current budget Rs 2 crore has been provided for the implementation of the programme.

In an effort to give impetus to the comprehensive development of mango in the state, approval has been accorded under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for the establishment of mango development centre in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts at a total cost of Rs 19 crore.

The state has also sanctioned establishment of flower auction centers in Tumkur, Davanagere, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Belgaum districts at a cost of Rs 15 crore under RKVY over a period of four years from 2008-09, the economic survey revealed.