Ideal Environment for Plantation | Horticultural Crops
Posted by Unknown in Flower, Horticulture, India on Saturday, 26 January 2013
The
diverse agro-climatic condition prevailing in Karnataka is suitable for
growing a variety of horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables,
flowers, spices, plantation crops, root and tuber crops, and medicinal
and aromatic crops.
The total area under plantation and horticulture crops was 20.51 lakh hectares with annual production of 138.65 lakh mt.
The
thrust areas are: Hybrid seed production of vegetables and cut flowers
especially under poly houses for export with tie up with Safal Fruit and
Vegetable Auction Market (SFVAM), oil palm cultivation and contract
farming of medicinal and aromatic crops, viz., Aloe Vera, Coleus
forskoli, Ashwagandha and Patchouli.
Gherkins,
rose onion, flowers and vanilla are notified under Agri-Export Zones,
covering 15 districts. Along with National Horticulture Mission (NHM),
the Government is also implementing a pilot project on adoption of
Israeli Technology in 10 taluks.
SERICULTURE
The
area under mulberry cultivation has come down from 97647 hectares
(2006-07) to 77,329 hectares (2008-09), mainly on account of uprooting
of mulberry plantations in Ramanagara, Mysore, Bangalore Rural and
Tumkur districts and also crop diversification. Accordingly, the cocoon
production has also come down to 53377 MT (2008-09) from 58697 MT
(2006-07).
Issues
concerning plantation and horticulture in the State are: - There is a
need to strengthening of technical staff of the horticulture department
particularly at the field level, lack of support system for market
oriented production, short supply of quality planting material and
improved varieties, especially under medicinal and aromatic plants,
deficit infrastructure in AEZ and lack of coordinated approach, adoption
of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices to reduce losses,
increase productivity are the areas of concern.
The
Coffee Board may promote organic farming to meet international standard
of productivity. The Coconut Development Board may promote
multi-storied cropping system.
Improved
mulberry varieties and silk worm races have to be widely popularised in
non-traditional areas. The weakest link in the sericulture sector is
the reelers.
Promotion
of shoot rearing method, bivoltine races, deficit in inadequate network
and technology transfer in non-traditional areas and lack of effective
tripartite arrangement for recovery of loan from farmers in post-cocoon
activities, are the issues to be addressed by the agencies concerned. As
the existing multi-voltine races are not ideally suited in high
rainfall districts, races suitable to various agro climatic zones of the
State to be evolved.
There
is good potential for corporate/contract farming (soil to silk) to
achieve international quality and ensure continues supply to the
industries. The department and banks may promote such models.
Banks to scale up disbursement to sericulture sector as adequate potential exists.
The
department and banks need to work out a realistic working capital cycle
to meet requirements of the reelers. Upgradation of machinery and
cost-effective technology to enhance productivity and quality of the
post-cocoon activity.
Banks
may finance for pre-cooling, grading and packing houses for fruits and
vegetables, dry land horticulture, high density planting, multi-tier
cropping systems small and medium capacity tissue culture units.
The crop insurance scheme/weather based insurance may be extended to all the horticultural crops.
The Hindu
