BELGAUM : The district has been brought under the Union Government-sponsored National Horticulture Mission.

Belgaum Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer M.E. Shivalingamurthy said here on Thursday that the mission aims at the comprehensive development of the horticulture sector and help farmers to improve their income.

The mission aims at adopting an "end-to-end approach" covering horticultural activities and evolving appropriate technologies for harvest and post-harvest management right from the stage of production to marketing in the identified belts or clusters through the State Government. The mission will focus on production, post-harvest management, processing and marketing to assure appropriate returns to growers; promoting research and development of technologies for production, post-harvest management and processing in the potential belts/clusters, and enhancing acreage, coverage, and productivity. Strategies will be adopted to evolve a coordinated approach and promote partnership, convergence and synergy among research and development, processing and marketing agencies in the public and private sectors at all levels.

Besides, farmers will be motivated to adopt appropriate National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) model of cooperatives to ensure support and adequate returns.

The benefits under the mission will be extended to various horticultural crops and spices, including cashew and ginger, during 2006-07. The Government will provide an assistance of Rs. 15,000 to expand acreage under banana and mango cultivation and Rs. 22,500 in respect of grape cultivation. Funds will be for procurement of saplings and planting. However, the release of funds will be in three stages - 50 per cent in the first year, 20 per cent in the second year and 30 per cent in the third year. Similarly, to encourage floriculture, Rs. 33,000 will be given to marginal farmers for rose, bird of Paris and gerbera cultivation and Rs. 23,100 to small farmers. Besides, saplings worth Rs. 45,000 will be given to marginal farmers to grow "sugandha raj" and gladiola and Rs. 29,700 to small farmers. Saplings worth Rs. 12,000 will be given to marginal farmers to grow "sampige" and jasmine and Rs. 7,920 to small farmers.

Mr. Shivalingmurthy said the Government will provide Rs. 10 lakhs a hectare for rejuvenation of community water tanks.

These programmes taken up under the mission are being implemented by district-level committees headed by chief executive officers of zilla panchayats with members from the departments concerned.

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