Shimla :
Additional Chief Secretary Dr Shrikant Baldi said today that the state government was exploring the possibility of coffee cultivation as the Coffee Board of India had already surveyed prospective areas in Kangra, Mandi, Una and Bilaspur.
Eight market yards would be set up at Mendli, Fatehpur, Annu, Bhadshali, Jukhala, Totu, Tapri and Shilai to ensure remunerative prices to growers, he added.
Speaking on National Statistics Day after releasing a document, Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, brought out by the Department of Economics and Statistics today, Dr Baldi said: “Besides this, the state government is bringing 4,000 hectare area under off season vegetables cultivation. Under Rs 100-crore Dr YS Parmar Kisan Swarozgar Yojana, a target had been set for constructing 4,700 poly-houses covering 8.3 lakh square meter area for which farmers get 85 per cent subsidy”.
He said the government exempted levy of market fee on all vegetables and fruits and improved varieties and rootstocks of apple, pear, cherry, walnut and strawberry were being imported and distributed to farmers, who were given 80 per cent subsidies on anti-hail nets.
For the betterment of sheep breeders, procurement price of different varieties of wool had been increased and procedure for grant of grazing permits had been streamlined, he said.
He said the Shahnehar and Sidhata irrigation projects had been completed. Under the Vidhayak Nidhi, at least Rs 20 lakh would be spent on minor irrigation works and command area development.
Under the Rajiv Gandhi Micro Irrigation Scheme, about 8,500 hectare area would be brought under drip/ sprinkler irrigation system benefiting 14,000 farmers, he added.
He said under the Dr YS Parmar Kisan Swarozgar Yojana, 85 per cent subsidy was being provided to farmers to set up poly-houses, 50 per cent assistance for setting up vermi compost units and 60 per cent subsidy on setting up of milk processing and chilling facilities to the dairy co-operative societies.
He said the Rs 1,115 crore Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project would provide new technologies to the horticulturists.
source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Himachal> Governance / by Tribune News Service / Shimla – June 29th, 2016
