Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - 09:20 am:

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Ahmedabad, Monday: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said that area under horticulture in the state has more than doubled and production trebled during the last ten years, thanks to farmers� foray into growing more vegetable and fruits.

As against national average of 70 per cent growth in area, he said it has gone up by 125 per cent in Gujarat. Similarly, he said, the production has increased by almost 200 per cent to 1.05-crore tons. The state also took care to set up exclusive horticulture produce markets.

Talking to farmers across the state on the occasion of Krishi Mahotsav-2012 through videoconferencing, he said the agricultural pattern has shifted from traditional farming of cereals to specialty farming for vegetables and fruits, besides spices and cash crops. This has empowered farmers economically, even in tribal areas. In absolute terms, it is now worth about Rs.9,000-crore.

He said that vegetable production in the state has to be increased further by 65 per cent, for which the number of greenhouse and net-house is to be increased from 6,000 to 25,000, high-tech vegetable nurseries by 100, tissue culture labs by 50 and cold storage 25 to 30 during the next 12 moths. The Centre has also chipped in Rs.35-crore for these projects.

Mr. Modi said that plans are afoot to convert solid wastes into compost manure through water treatment plants in 50 towns. It will solve the problem of malnutrition. He said the Devi Pujak community is being encouraged to grow vegetables in the riverbed.

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Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - 09:08 am:

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�The use of mechanical equipments and machineries help to lessen the farming cost. So, the state government has encouraged farmers to use such equipments and to boost their income. The state government has come up with beneficial scheme for farmers to purchase farming machineries in transparent manner�, he said.

Chief Minister said that farmers can get useful information on pre-sowing preparation, harvesting, weed, latest farming equipments etc. in Krishi Mahotsav. The government gives huge assistance for purchasing farming machinery collectively, he said.

In past, till 2001, the budget for agriculture for our state used to be around two crore rupees. This time the state government has allocated a budget of Rs.285 crore for helping farmers to purchase farming machineries. Nearly 21,000 tractors have been purchased by the farmers last year. The equipment for planting paddy alone does the job of sixty farm workers. The women in farmer families have also started using such machines now, he said.

This state government has developed a custom hiring system through which small and marginal farmers can hire latest machinery. The farmers can purchase machinery from the seller of their choice. The state government also put the list of beneficiary farmers on the website, he said.

With a view to encourage high-tech farming the state government has introduced agro-technology courses in ITI and also set up agricultural colleges, he said.

Chief Minister lauded the efforts of progressive farmers who do research in farming tools and get high produce by using innovative methods of farming.

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Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - 04:40 am:

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Automakers seem to be heading for Gujarat en masse, encouraged by the 'investment-friendly' environment in the State.

Volkswagen is the newest addition to a growing list of carmakers that are either already present in, or looking to move into the State. While GM and Tata Motors have operational plants in Gujarat, Maruti Suzuki has slotted mega expansion in the State.

Peugeot Citroen and Ford Motor have already been given tax breaks and have signed 'state support' agreements.

Recently, a few officials from Volkswagen evaluated sites near Ahmedabad and Vadodara, State Government officials told Business Line.

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