The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Exclusive spices parks to be set up

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Friday, Aug 24, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Exclusive spices parks to be set up

Staff Reporter

At different places in the country for value addition

— PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN

launched: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, left, inaugurating the e-auction of cardamom at Cardamom Planters Association Auction Centre at Bodinayakanur in Theni district on Thursday.

BODINAYAKANUR: Exclusive Spices Parks will be established at different places in the country for value addition and making it an exportable commodity. Entire North Eastern region will be developed as an Organic Zone to produce organic chillies, turmeric and ginger, according to Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce.

Talking to media persons after launching the e-auction system here on Thursday, he said that a Mint Park would be set up in UP, Chilly Park in Guntur, Pepper and Cardamom parks in Idukki and a 100-acre Turmeric Park in Erode. These centres would assist farmers for value addition.

In the next 10 years, spices will not only be used for culinary purpose and also for pharmaceutical use, he added. “If India can move in this direction, we can bring about a revolution in spices.”

Similarly, Paderu in Visakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh would be developed as an Organic Zone for coffee and Guntur for organic chillies.

Re-plantation

Massive re-plantation programme for spices would be taken up soon. Re-plantation of tea will take place in two lakh hectares in the next 15 years. Tea re-plantation had already commenced and 40 per cent of existing plants would be replaced.

Re-plantation of coffee will take place in 80 to 90,000 hectares in the next 10 years at an estimated cost of Rs.400 crore, rubber in 35,000 hectares in five years at Rs.300 crore, pepper in 60,000 hectares at Rs.300 crore and cardamom in 30,000 hectares at Rs.211 crore in seven years.

Similarly, cashew will be re-planted in one lakh hectares in the next 10 years at Rs.400 crore to Rs.500 crore and coconut in four lakh hectares in 15 years at Rs.1,500 crore.

Identity cards

Spices Board will issue identity cards to all the 40,500 cardamom growers in the country before December 31 to enable them to get the benefits of various programmes.

The Minister advised Spices Board to amend rules to help farmers get sale amount within 14 days.

On the successful performance of e-auction facility in Bodi, it will be extended to all the 15 auction centres in the country. To begin with, five centres in Kerala would get it shortly, he added.

“We have plans to introduce e-auction facility for tea, chillies, and tobacco. We just want to modernise existing auction system and to eliminate cartel among the bidders.”

After the introduction of Warehousing Regulatory Bill, farmers could avail bank loans using the receipts for the stock kept in warehouses as collateral security. Farmers need not sell their produce immediately for money.

Steps would be taken to control smuggling of cardamom into India from Nepal and Bangladesh, he added.

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