Date:30/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/09/30/stories/2005093001401900.htm

Back Maharashtra agri marketing board to disburse Rs 150 cr

Our Bureau

Pune , Sept. 29

THE Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) has decided to disburse Rs 150 crore for the next fiscal under the pledge finance scheme.

Of this, Rs 25 crore would be from MSAMB, Rs 25 crore from the State Bank of India and the remaining from NABARD, Mr Harshvardhan Patil, Minister of State for Marketing, told presspersons on Thursday.

Under the scheme, farmers' produce would be pledged with the APMC. The grains that were under consideration included maize, wheat, jowar, soyabean, tur dal, urad dal, paddy and green gram. The scheme would aim at increasing the revenue of APMC as also proper utilisation of the godowns. Bringing cashew under the scheme was under consideration and a study would be undertaken by the MSAMB shortly.

Mr Patil said two more facilities would be set up under the agri-export zone for banana at Jalgaon and Hingoli districts at Rs 3.5 crore each. These would help in handling, grading, packing, cleaning and ripening of the produce. Once approval from APEDA was received, the construction of these facilities would begin on a five-acre plot each.

A similar facility was being set up for oranges in Wardha district.

As for the investment for these three projects, about 50 per cent would be contributed by APEDA while the remaining would be by MSAMB and the local organisation.

The international cargo complex set up at Lohegaon had received two proposals, one from Air India and the other from Sahara Airlines to operate international flights from Lohegaon. The proposal was under consideration, he said.