High subsidies are offered in cold storage and in food parks!
NRIs in UK and USA can invest in their family owned lands and raise their incomes and profits very rapidly.
Here are the fields where there is such high potential! Food Parks, Cold Storages and other areas like raising high value vegetables under green house high tech-farming!
New business opportunities in agriculture and food industries
Karnataka comes up with a separate agriculture budget. To generate more incomes in agriculture and rural sectors there are innovative opportunities today!
Agriculture topic raises either boredom or a tired reputation of the same old mantras.
And unfortunately agriculture is only talked about by officials or experts only. Most of these people live in urban areas and engaged in govt-funded activities like advisers or researchers and thus agriculture always gets restricted to crops and other routine estimates. Or, it gets limited to food distribution. This is now the latest fad. Sonia Gandhi-led arm-chair “do-gooders” now have come up with the Food Security Bill, it sounds so impressive on paper and its only counter-point is the Prime Minister Economic Advisory expert Dr.Rangarajan panel which opposes Sonia Gandhi -backed proposal to give food for all that is for the families below poverty line and also for those above the poverty line.
What is this? This is pure populism, with no logic except that the election rhetoric works for political arithmetic!
So, who wins in this game, the PM led group or the Sonia-led group?
So, it is simply a waste of time, this debate of what to do in agriculture. Agriculture production and productivity, it seems, is nobody’s concern!
Yes, agriculture continues to be left with no serious attention and no serious policy seems to be in place.
Today, the whole economic scenario in the country has changed.
There is a new situation where the future of the price rise for foodgrains all over the world seems so certain. The World Bank, the FAO and other agencies, including the Commodity Trade bodies and organisations are high on the future of the food trade and as such there is a sure rise in the prices of all agri and food products.
So, there is a great deal of investment opportunities in the agribusiness and food industries.
Karnataka seems to be emerging as an ideal destination for such small scale, medium scale enterprises in food and high-tech agriculture.
As a positive indication, the Karnataka Chief Minister Mr.B.S.Yeddyurappa in a bold move had gone for a separate state agri budget. A first in the country and we are sure that would set a new trend in agriculture budget making for other states.
What is the point of promising so many things but doing practically nothing in agriculture?
Even the Central budget has only promised bank loans for farmers, but only at 4 per cent. But Mr.Yeddyurappa has promised crop loans at just 1 per cent! This is a revolutionary step.
We congratulate the Karnataka CM for this visionary step.
Indian farmers have always suffered and historically farmers, the then Indian peasant had paid a heavy price at the hands of the Indian money lender classes.
That only led even A.O.Hume, the founder of the Indian National Congress to found that body to plead for the upliftment of the Indian peasants.
All the efforts so far, from the early staring of the co-operative movement to the present day, the Indian farmers was always an object of pity and his sufferings had not stopped to this day.
Even today, under the expert-run Indian government, under Dr.Manmohan Singh and Ahluwalaia and Dr.Ranga Rajan and other army of economists and experts who cry hoarse about farming and agriculture’s future, there is no definite action.
So, Yeddyurappa must be really honoured for this first-ever state agri budget.
Also the Chief Minister had announced Rs.10,000 to each agricultural family in the rain-fed areas under the Suvarna bhoomi Yojana. It is unique, calls experts.
Yes, it is!
Says Dr. R.S.Deshpande, the director of the Bangalore-based Institute of Economic and Social change that even advanced countries like Canada, Japan and European Union and Germany have introduced such a cash payment scheme to farmers.
Also, the CM had introduced a Rs.100 crore for encouraging drip irrigation. It is also very important that the state is conducting a global agro-investment meet. Of course, any foreign investment, on a large scale, unless large the foreign investments won’t come, might be a cause of concern. The state government must draw up a careful safeguard policy.
Now, the Centre has introduced or likely to introduce 15 more mega food parks.
Also, the Finance Minister Mr.Mukerjee has asked the states to reform the Agriculture Produce Marketing Act(APMC) to improve the supply chain.
Now, there is a proposal to give a hefty subsidy to establish cold storages in the country.
This is a new big opportunity for investments in cold storages.
So, during the year 2011-12,approval is being given to 15 more such parks. The 11th Plan has a target for 30 such parks, says the finance minister. There are so many subsidised agri ventures from National Horticulture Mission and National Medicinal Crops Board.
In cold storage, there is subsidy as high as 40 % and interest rate 10% from State Bank of India. End to end cold storage chains are now an attractive investment proposal. It is now given the infrastructure status and so many concessions. A FICCI study had put the wastage of fruits and vegetable at Rs.58,000 crore which is more than the total production of fresh fruits and vegetables in UK! India now has about 5,400 cold storages and they are largely used for storing potatoes. CII points out that India need a cold storage infrastructure investment of Rs 18,000-20,000 over the next 5 years to meet the demand.
Interested entrepreneurs, from the small and medium segment might contact help@vmg.in.
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