Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Green signal for leasing out 20 horticulture farms

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Aug. 12. The State Government has approved the Department of Horticulture's proposal to lease out 20 of the 43 horticulture farms under it throughout the State to private parties.

At a press conference here on Monday, J. S. V. Prasad, Director of Horticulture, said the process of leasing out was on, while the remaining 23 farms, one in each district, would continue to be managed by the department.

Mr. Prasad said this was part of the reforms being carried out in the Department, to focus not merely on promotion of horticulture plant material but production too. Already 20 lakh plants had been raised. Training programme was being imparted to horticulture officers on their changed roles. Each horticulture farm is being treated as an independent economic entity.

A project wing had been created to develop horticulture farms and parks for various Government departments and private organisations. Orders had been received from the School Education department and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University.

He said an exclusive expo would be organised on medical and aromatic plants here and consultation was on with the National Horticulture Board. It includes a buyer/ seller meet, to remove apprehension among farmers that raising these plants was unremunerative and had no market. This was one area where contract farming could play a major role, because both the buyer and seller would know the production level in advance.

A State Board for Medicinal and Aromatic plants had been constituted recently headed by an Indian Forest Service officer, on the lines of the Central Board. The State Board, too, is expected to popularise raising of these plants.

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