Cash crop replantation proposals await govt nod
The commerce ministry’s plan to undertake replantation and rejuvenation of cash crops such as rubber, pepper and coconut is yet to see the light of the day with the proposals awaiting nod of the finance ministry.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: The commerce ministry’s plan to undertake replantation and rejuvenation of cash crops such as rubber, pepper and coconut is yet to see the light of the day with the proposals awaiting nod of the finance ministry.
While the scheme for replantation of crops such as cashew, coconut, cardamom, pepper, rubber, coffee and tea was announced in the last Budget, the finance ministry is yet to give its approval for the programmes. “The expenditure finance committee had approved all the proposals but we are awaiting clearance, only after which it would go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,” minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh said here on Sunday.
The minister said the proposal was announced in the last Budget and hopefully it should be implemented before the next Budget”.
Of the major cash crops for rejuvenation, work has kick-started only on tea re-plantation involving an outlay of Rs 4,760 crore on two lakh hectare crop area.
Mr Ramesh said 6,700 hectares of tea replantation has been taken up in the first year. The target is to replant 11,000 hectare annually over the next 15 years. Replantation of crops is proposed to be undertaken over the next 5-10 years entailing an outlay of about Rs 2,335 crore.
This would be part-financed by the central government, the beneficiaries and by way of subsidy. “For tea, the model has been 25% subsidy, 25% contribution by the grower and 50% by way of soft loans. A similar model would be followed for other crops,” he said.
While the scheme for replantation of crops such as cashew, coconut, cardamom, pepper, rubber, coffee and tea was announced in the last Budget, the finance ministry is yet to give its approval for the programmes. “The expenditure finance committee had approved all the proposals but we are awaiting clearance, only after which it would go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,” minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh said here on Sunday.
The minister said the proposal was announced in the last Budget and hopefully it should be implemented before the next Budget”.
Of the major cash crops for rejuvenation, work has kick-started only on tea re-plantation involving an outlay of Rs 4,760 crore on two lakh hectare crop area.
Mr Ramesh said 6,700 hectares of tea replantation has been taken up in the first year. The target is to replant 11,000 hectare annually over the next 15 years. Replantation of crops is proposed to be undertaken over the next 5-10 years entailing an outlay of about Rs 2,335 crore.
This would be part-financed by the central government, the beneficiaries and by way of subsidy. “For tea, the model has been 25% subsidy, 25% contribution by the grower and 50% by way of soft loans. A similar model would be followed for other crops,” he said.
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