JOIN USThe Horticulture department has proposed to set up a “Lime Board” with an aim to promote lemon production in State.
The Horticulture department has been asked to send a proposal to the State government regarding the same, according to sources. The board would be constituted on lines of the Mango development Board and the Wine Board.
The primary responsibilities of the proposed board would be to promote lemon cultivation on a large scale, improvise its trade and also help market produce better. It will also help process the produce better for marketing across the country and outside the country.
“The government has asked the department to write to them about the objectives of the board and the duties it would be managing,” a source from the department said.
With a majority of the produce in the State coming from Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Hassan and Tumakuru districts, the proposal is also to set up the board in one of these locations to reach out to farmers better.
According to the Horticulture department statistics, Karnataka stands sixth in country in lemon production. Plantations of the crop are spread over an area of about 15,000 hectares. The annual produce is 1.5 tonnes. The fruits are grown throughout the year and Kagzi Nimboo, the variety with a juicy, thin rind, is produced on a very large scale in the State.
Even as the State has been promoting cultivators to grow lemons on a large scale, there is a need to streamline the same, opine experts. “The government is already giving subsidy to farmers growing the crop. Besides, they are also helping them market it. If the board is set up, it will help make the crop production and processing more efficient and effective,” said the source.
An official from the Horticulture department confirmed that the department had sent the proposal to the government and the latter was reviewing the same.