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ReturnIndia: Govt doubles subsidy for sericulture
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PublishDate：
2007-09-03 16:05:00
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NAGPUR: In a move to give a push to sericulture as an alternative crop in the suicide-hit Vidarbha, the state government has doubled the subsidy for farmers taking up sericulture, state marketing, EGS and parliamentary affairs minister Harshvardhan Patil said here on Saturday.
"Sericulture is a high return occupation. Moreover, along with silk processing it can provide large scale employment," said Patil. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the "Reshim Divas" function attended by farmers from all over the state.
Under the employment guarantee scheme, farmers taking up sericulture will get a subsidy of Rs 25,000 per acre. Till now, they were getting Rs 12,060, he said. "This should attract a large number of farmers to mulberry cultivation especially in Vidarbha where cotton cultivators were driven to suicide because of poor returns," he said.
Patil said sericulture was grossly untapped in Maharashtra with only 9,000 hectares under it while in the neighbouring state of Karnataka it was cultivated in one lakh hectares. The state has demand for 25,000 metric tonnes of silk cocoons a year and a quarter of it is imported from China. "This year we have a target of 10,000 hectares. A sericulture policy will be framed for the state soon covering all aspects from cultivation to silk production," said Patil. The effort will be to open a cocoon purchase centre in every taluka. Private players and textile industry will also be involved in the sericulture business to give it a big push by way of the new policy, said Patil.
While a major portion of Rs 15,000 for labour component will be paid at the start, the remainder will be paid in two instalments, he said elaborating on the special subsidy scheme.
Asked about cotton farmers' demand for a price hike under the monopoly cotton purchase scheme, he said a decision will be taken soon. However, the cotton federation which manages the scheme has recommended that the Centre's minimum support price would be the base price with a hike of Rs 40 per quintal announced this year. Rs 2,130 per quintal will be paid to the superfine variety while bunny grade will fetch Rs 2,030, he said.
Source:Industry Website
"Sericulture is a high return occupation. Moreover, along with silk processing it can provide large scale employment," said Patil. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the "Reshim Divas" function attended by farmers from all over the state.
Under the employment guarantee scheme, farmers taking up sericulture will get a subsidy of Rs 25,000 per acre. Till now, they were getting Rs 12,060, he said. "This should attract a large number of farmers to mulberry cultivation especially in Vidarbha where cotton cultivators were driven to suicide because of poor returns," he said.
Patil said sericulture was grossly untapped in Maharashtra with only 9,000 hectares under it while in the neighbouring state of Karnataka it was cultivated in one lakh hectares. The state has demand for 25,000 metric tonnes of silk cocoons a year and a quarter of it is imported from China. "This year we have a target of 10,000 hectares. A sericulture policy will be framed for the state soon covering all aspects from cultivation to silk production," said Patil. The effort will be to open a cocoon purchase centre in every taluka. Private players and textile industry will also be involved in the sericulture business to give it a big push by way of the new policy, said Patil.
While a major portion of Rs 15,000 for labour component will be paid at the start, the remainder will be paid in two instalments, he said elaborating on the special subsidy scheme.
Asked about cotton farmers' demand for a price hike under the monopoly cotton purchase scheme, he said a decision will be taken soon. However, the cotton federation which manages the scheme has recommended that the Centre's minimum support price would be the base price with a hike of Rs 40 per quintal announced this year. Rs 2,130 per quintal will be paid to the superfine variety while bunny grade will fetch Rs 2,030, he said.
Source:Industry Website
