Gujarat, Andhra to get agri clinics for groundnut

With a view to support farmers in major groundnut growing areas, the Groundnut Promotion Council under the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has decided to set up agri clinics for groundnut promotion in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

The apex trade body has identified Junagadh in Gujarat and Adoni in Andhra Pradesh for establishment of agri clinics. Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh account for majority of groundnut production in the country and the regions selected for agri clinics are the prominent groundnut growing areas in these two states.

India’s total groundnut production in 2009-10 stood at 5.12 million tonnes, of which Gujarat accounted for 1.6 million tonnes, while Andhra Pradesh accounts for 1.03 million tonnes.

In the wake of reduction in groundnut acreage as well as production and diminishing quantity of the commodity available for crushing over the last couple of years, Bipin Patel, chairman, SEA Groundnut Promotion Council had suggested establishment of agri clinics for groundnut to help farmers.

“The managing committee of SEA accepted the suggestion and decided to set up agri clinic at Junagadh in Gujarat and Adoni in Andhra Pradesh,” said Ashok Sethia, president, SEA in a letter to the members of the association.

The proposed agri clinics would support farmers in groundnut growing areas by providing various information and services including soil testing, recommendation for seed varieties appropriate to soil and climatic condition as well as SMS services to the farmers to update them on weather conditions, advisory services of agronomist to the farmers for pre and post harvest etc.

The trade body also urged local members engaged in groundnut crushing/groundnut cake processing to come forward and involve in this project to make the agri clinics a successful model.

Based on the success achieved by these proposed agri clinics, SEA may further decide to set up more agri clinics.

Meanwhile, SEA has again requested the government to freely allow edible oil exports in both consumer pack and in bulk as conditions under which the ban was imposed no longer exists.