UTTAR PRADESH: The Uttar Pradesh government has planned a Rs 105.5 crore project for setting up of agro-parks in five centres of the state with private sector participation. Financial closure for the project will be announced soon. It has decided to set up Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) to assist the food processing and launch the UP Diversified Agriculture Support Programme (UPDASP) for agriculture marketing and encouraging farmers to cultivate cash crops and horticulture crops.

Speaking on the occasion, the director of Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), Ajay Kumar said that the state government has planned to set up agro-parks in Lucknow, Varanasi, Sharanpur, Hapur and Haldwani (now in newly created Uttaranchal) with private sector participation. The agro-park in Lucknow will be on 100 acre land at an estimated investment of Rs 15 crore. The agro-park at Varanasi will be on 275 acre land and at an estimated investment of Rs 25 crore. The agro-park at Saharanpur will be on 100 acre land and at an estimated investment of Rs 16 crore. The agro-park at Hapur will on 250 acre land and at an estimated investment of Rs 32 crore. HARYANA: The Haryana government is also not far behind. It has planned an integrated agro marketing complex and food park on 500 acres of land at Rai in Sonepat district.

Speaking on the occasion the chief administrator of Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board, Anoop Nigam said that the place has been ideally selected being on the major national highway NH-1, only 8 kms from the nearest railway station, 60 km from the international airport and 10 km from the Delhi border. Besides there is assured supply of electricity and potable water. The site is also equipped with suitable effluent treatment facilities.

The complex will provide cost effective start up for prospective food processing business due to reduced overheads and ready to use infrastructure facilities. It will provide economies of scale in production and shared distribution and acess to a hi-tech processing and infrastructure facility. The complex will have access to fruits and vegetables from adjoining states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, J&K and UP. Besides Haryana produces in plenty wheat, paddy, maize, pulses, oilseeds, milk, onions, potatoes, chilly, tomatoes and poultry products.

MADHYA PRADESH: The MP government has decided to go hi-tech in agriculture marketing by introducing e-trading in 230 mandis in the state by amending the MP State Agriculture Produce Marketing Act. It has decided to privatise the state-owned farms.

Speaking on the occasion the state agriculture secretary, R Parasuram said that the government has already introduced changes whereby the warehouse receipts can be accepted as an instrument for getting loans and credits. The farmers now need not bring their stocks in bulk to the mandis for sale. They can just bring samples of their produces and strike out deals will traders. The government has already exempted sales tax and mandi tax to be paid by farmers on the sale of seeds.

KARNATAKA: The Karnataka government has planned to come out with a new agriculture policy of its own. A vision group on biotechnology has been constituted to advise government on future strategies. The state government will announce food-park initiatives which will be different from traditional industrial estates.

The new agriculture policy will aim at increasing production and income of farmers which have been stagnant over the last decade. It will attract private investment for development of agri business and development of barren, arid and degraded lands with full involvement of the local community. Agriculture and horticulture sectors would be strengthened by wasteland development through private initiative, attracting massive investment in agro food processing sector and effective transfer of technology from research laboratories and universities to farmers. Agriculture growth to be enhanced from the present 1.19 per cent to 2.5 per cent.