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Madurai-Tuticorin to have economic zone & cold storage for fruit & veg
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Friday, 12 April, 2013, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Akshay Kalbag, Mumbai
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fiogf49gjkf0d The extension of the Madurai-Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) industrial corridor and the establishment of new economic zones, proposed in the state Budget for 2012-13 which was presented by O Panneerselvam, finance minister, Government of Tamil Nadu, recently, could provide the agriculture sector a fillip, but there seemed to be little in store for the food processing sector.
S V S S Velsankar, honorary secretary, Tamilnadu Foodgrains Merchants' Association, Madurai, confirmed this in a telephonic conversation with FnB News, adding, “Cold storage units will be set up for the storage of fruit and vegetables.” He said, “Neither have the existing tax rates been hiked nor have any new taxes been levied.”
Allocation for agri
- The allocation to agriculture is Rs 5,189 crore of the total allocation to the primary sector (Rs 17,220 crore)
- Following the Rs 1,517-crore relief package to the Cauvery Delta farmers, the state government is preparing a relief package to the other districts
- Horticulture will be expanded with 8.2 lakh acre brought under vegetable cultivation against the present 7.25 lakh acre
- Infrastructure in agricultural markets will be upgraded and markets integrated with commodity exchanges. The objective is to increase processing, farmers' revenue and stabilise incomes
- Crop loan target from the cooperative sector is pegged at Rs 4,500 crore for 2013-14 against Rs 4,000 crore in the current year
- To improve water use efficiency, the state government decided to do away with the one-acre limit on small and marginal farmers to make use of subsidies for micro-irrigation
- Farmers can choose their suppliers, and the subsidies will be released to their accounts. Over Rs 520 crore will be available as subsidy to cover 1.30 lakh acre
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