Karnataka   

Set up chilli board, says H.K. Patil

BYADGI (Haveri District): The former Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, H.K. Patil, has urged the Union Government to set up a chilli board for helping farmers engaged in the cultivation of chilli.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a chilli processing plant set up at a cost of Rs. 4.5 crore at Byadgi in Haveri district on Friday.

Mr. Patil said although the Spices Board was there, it was not giving the required attention towards helping farmers in the post-harvest processes and consequently, the farmers were unable to get good prices for their yield.

He said that chilli was grown in 5 lakh acres of land in north Karnataka and the production was nearly 1.5 lakh tonnes.

However, the condition of the chilli growers was bad as they were not given proper guidance in getting good prices for their yield through value addition, he said.

MP from Dharwad South Manjunath Kunnur underscored the need for developing the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee yard at Byadgi which was one of the biggest chilli markets in the country.

He also underscored the need for strengthening the regional office of Spices Board in Hubli.

He said the regional office was short of manpower and was unable to guide and help the chilli farmers.

Mr. Kunnur urged the Union Minister to look into the parliament committee’s report in which it was recommended that agro economic zones (AEZ) should be set up at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Byadgi in Karnataka, and take requisite measures.

Principal Secretary of Department of Commerce and Industry V.P. Baligar told the gathering that the Union Government had released Rs. 9.5 crore under a scheme for the development of infrastructure in Byadgi APMC and the work would begin soon.

Mr. Baligar underscored the need for the Spices Board to promote value addition in crops such as groundnut and grams and urged the board officials to include jowar in their purchase list.

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