The Horticulture department is implementing a project to draw farmers to commercial crops which fetch more profit.
‘Integrated Horticulture Development Project’ is being implemented in the district for a period of three years. The objective of the project is to promote mango, banana and guava cultivation. Growing foodgrains has become a Herculean task in the district plagued by water scarcity and scanty rain.
As part of the project, as many as ten clusters (two each for five taluks) have been formed in the district. A cluster means a group of villages selected for implementation of the project. A total of 583 farmers have been selected for the project which would implemented in 415 hectares of land, 80 hectares per taluk on an average.
Chittanahalli and Nukkanahalli of Kolar taluk; Karadagur and Sundarapalya of Bangarpet taluk; Nelavanki and Yaldur of Srinivaspur taluk and Seethanahalli and Thimmanayakanahalli of Malur taluk have been identified as cluster centres.
Revolving fund
The ambitious project will be implemented through the associations which the selected farmers have to form. The department will provide a Rs two lakh-revolving fund for each association out of which the growers have to purchase saplings. The point of significance is that the farmers should follow trench system for growing plants and compulsorily install drip irrigation and adhere to high density system. Pruning and thinning is compulsory. Farmers who fail to follow these procedures cannot be part of the project.
Farmers facilitators have been appointed for the successful implementation of the project. They have been giving a special 10-month training in horticulture crops. Bsc (agriculture) graduates too have been informed, one for each taluk, as subject experts. Several meetings of the beneficiary farmers have already been held and they have been taken to Udumalpet in Tamil Nadu on a study tour, said Kadiregowda, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department.
Marketing facility
Providing market for the horticulture produce is the core idea of the project. Horticultural Produces Co-operative Marketing and Processing Society Limited (Hopcoms) will serve as a major link between the farmers and sellers.
In other words, the farmers will be provided marketing facilities apart from assistance to grow horticultural crops, Kadiregowda explained.
Financial assistance will be extended to farmers for three years to purchase saplings and other inputs, till marketing of the produce.
Small farmers and those belonging to Schedule Caste/Tribe will get a subsidy of 50 per cent and the rest will get a subsidy of 40 per cent.
Kadiregowda said the project is being implemented successfully in the four taluks and has suffered.
