K'taka seeks Rs 73 cr aid for vanilla growers

Karnataka horticulture minister Shashikant Naik has said that the state government had sought a Rs 73 crore grant from the Centre to bail out the vanilla growers in the state.

Speaking to Business Standard here on Wednesday Naik said the state government was committed to helping the vanilla growers who are facing a crisis due to crash in the price of their produce.

Import of artificial vanilla has caused the price of vanilla to crash in India. "We have requested commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath to ban the import of artificial vanilla," Naik said.

He explained that the production of wine has increased in Karnataka as the state is following the Wine Policy. It has also helped promote tourism.

"The government is considering formulation of 'Neera' (fresh juice from coconut tree) and cashew policies. The matter will be discussed at the next cabinet meeting."

The state government is interacting with Goa in this regard.