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G. Srinivasan

To meet on Nov 22; Dept of Commerce to prepare package

New Delhi , Nov 15

The Group of Ministers on Plantations, under the Chairmanship of the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, would hold its first meeting here on November 22 to take stock of the state of affairs and to tailor intervention policies to bolster the beleaguered industry.

Sources in the Government told Business Line here that the plantation industry comprising pepper, cardamom, rubber, coconut, cashew, tea, coffee, coir and cashew basically suffered from low productivity and lack of technological intervention to step up productivity.

Other members of the GoM include the Union Commerce & Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, the Minister for Overseas Affairs, Mr Vyalar Ravi and Mr Jairam Ramesh, Minster of State for Commerce, a special invitee. The Union Defence Minister, Mr A.K. Anthony, and the Minister of State for Labour, Mr Oscar Fernandes, were co-opted as Members of the GoM on Tuesday.

With a view to addressing the problems plaguing the plantation sector in Kerala, Mr Jairam Ramesh made a presentation to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, here on November 8.

Mr Ramesh said the Prime Minister was keen on addressing the concerns of the plantation industry and said the 11th Plan (2007-12) should focus on improving productivity in the plantation industry.

Re-plantation

He outlined an overview of re-plantation plus rejuvenation programmes over next five to seven years in Kerala to be undertaken by the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in the case of pepper, cardamom and cashew, while for the rest of plantation crops such as rubber, coconut and coffee their respective boards would do so.

For tea re-plantation, the outlay of Rs 258 crore for re-plantation/ rejuvenation of 27,000 hectare (ha) of tea estate would be drawn from Special Purpose Tea Fund.

He said re-plantation/ rejuvenation programmes would entail estimated cost of Rs 476 crore in 68,000 ha for pepper, Rs 60 crore over 5,000 ha in cardamom, Rs 450 crore in 50,000 ha in rubber. In coffee, the outlay would be Rs 160 crore in 20,000 ha in Kerala.

The outcome

Asked about the outcome of the presentation to the Prime Minister, Mr Ramesh said the Department of Commerce would prepare a proposal on integration of re-plantation/ rejuvenation programme for pepper cardamom and cashew with the NHM.

He also said in view of the serious problem of paucity of technical manpower encountered by the eight research institutions pertaining to plantation crops, a proposal would be furnished to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) by the Department of Commerce, seeking exemption from the ban on new recruitment imposed by the Ministry of Personnel and Training/ Ministry of Finance.

He said that the Department of Commerce would ensure that proposals pertaining to processing modernisation programme for coir and cashew entailing an outlay of Rs 1,050 crore would be suitably dovetailed into the Eleventh Plan.

About the one-member Committee headed by the former Chairman of IRDA, Mr N. Rangachari, to review the Price Stabilisation Fund Scheme for select plantation crops and suggest new measures for the whole sector, Mr Ramesh said the Prime Minister is keen on getting the report sent to him by mid-December.

More Stories on : Agricultural Policy | Plantations

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