| Promotional
Programmes |
| Production
Development » |
| North Eastern
States offer immense potential for large-scale
cultivation of spices. It is anticipated that
the region can create exportable surpluses at
competitive prices so that the top slot occupied
by the country in the international spice market
would be maintained. It also gives large-scale
employment opportunities and wealth creation in
the area. The major activities proposed are: |
| Large
Cardamom Development |
| Large Cardamom
presently grown in Sikkim and parts of West Bengal
is being extended to the States of Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. To motivate
the growers Spices Board proposes to provide Rs.17,
500/- per ha. as subsidy. |
| Construction
of Large Cardamom Curing Houses |
| To provide forward
linkage to expansion of large cardamom production,
15 community curing houses each with a capacity
of 1000 kgs are proposed to be constructed during
the last three years of the plan period. The entire
cost will be borne by the Spices Board. |
| Production
of Organic Pepper |
| Board proposes
to support development of organic pepper in all
the North Eastern States by offering 33% of the
cost as subsidy with a ceiling of Rs.12, 500/-
per ha. |
| Development
of Herbal Spices |
| The climate in
the North Eastern States is suitable for cultivation
of herbal spices and Spices Board proposes to
introduce these crops in North Eastern States
by providing a subsidy of Rs.20, 000/- per ha. |
| Setting
up of Vermicompost Units |
| In order to equip
the growers in North Eastern States to produce
organic inputs, Spices Board proposes to provide
Rs.1250/- as grant-in-aid per unit. |
| Organic
Cultivation of Lakadong Turmeric |
| Lakadong Turmeric
is a much sought after variety by the extraction
industry because of its high curcumin content
(<5.5). It is a location specific variety grown
in Meghalaya. Spices Board proposes to extend
its organic cultivation in 1000 ha during the
plan period by providing Rs.12,500/- per ha as
subsidy. |
| Organic
Cultivation of Ginger |
| Ginger is widely
cultivated in North Eastern States. Organic cultivation
of varieties like Nadia and China are proposed
to be promoted for export market by providing
Rs.12,500/- per ha as subsidy. |
| Supply
of Driers for drying Ginger and Turmeric |
| To support ginger
and turmeric growers to take up scientific drying
of their produce for fetching better prices, Board
proposes to provide Rs.10,000/- per drier as subsidy. |
| Construction
of Warehouse-cum-Cold Storages |
| In order to insulate
farmers from the adverse impacts of the price
fluctuations, Spices Board proposes to set up
4 warehouse-cum-cold storages with a total capacity
of 3000 tons during the plan period. The programme
will be implemented with the assistance of the
State Agricultural Market Committees/Agricultural
Marketing Boards/Agro Industries Corporation /
Agri-Horti Department/Farmers’ Groups. |
| Training
for Officers and Farmers in North Eastern States |
| Board proposes
to train officers of the Agricultural/Horticultural
Departments in North Eastern States, and growers
in various production, post harvest, quality management
and export processing aspects. These programmes
will be conducted also in training centers outside
North East. |
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