Ministry grants in-principle approvals to three mega food parks

These proposed projects will come up in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab; new proposals to be examined for a similar venture in Uttar Pradesh.

August 09, 2010 12:29 PM
Pallabika Gangul

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) has given in-principle permissions to three food parks in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab. The government was in the process of approving four food parks (including the three which have already been approved) since the past four months. But the project proposal for the park in Uttar Pradesh had some lacunae, therefore, the in-principle approval has been granted only for the above-mentioned three food parks. The government will invite new proposals for the fourth food park in Uttar Pradesh this week.

Every food park will have a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) comprising around three companies and representatives from banks, financial institutions and the food processing ministry. The Karnataka food park will be developed in Mandaya, Kolar. The three companies involved in this project are Capital Foods Ltd (which holds 40% share in the company); Pantaloon Retail (30% share) and Chordia Foods (30% share). Chordia is a Pune-based manufacturer and exporter of pickles.

The Maharashtra food park will come up in Sindhudurg (in the district of the same name) and the three companies in the strategic alliance are Temptation Foods Ltd (40% share); NNR Biofuels (40% share) and Valecha Engineering Ltd (10% share). A few other minor players are also part of this project.

In Punjab, the food park will be developed in Fazilka (Firozpur district) led by International Farm Fresh Ltd which will have 16% share in the company. Sukhinder Singh and Associate will hold 34% share; Narain Export Import Corporation (10% share) and Citrus State Tahliwala Jatta will hold 1% in the project. The promoters will decide on how to distribute the balance stake.

"We have given in-principle approval to three food parks. We were supposed to give approvals to four but we could not find relevant project proposals. We would be soon inviting proposals for the remaining project," said Ashok Sinha, secretary, MOFPI.

The final proposals for these three projects (which have obtained in-principle approvals) will have to be submitted in the next six months for a final nod from the government before these ventures are initiated. The SPV for each project will require an investment of around Rs120 crore-Rs150 crore, which includes the government's contribution of Rs50 crore.

Every food park will have around 27 processing and ancillary units which will process about 1,80,000 tonnes per annum of raw material-primarily comprising fruits, vegetables, rice and spices. MOFPI had received 37 proposals for the four mega food parks out of which 16 were for Maharashtra, 10 for Karnataka, six for Punjab and five for Uttar Pradesh. In Punjab, Mrs Bector's Food Specialties (a part of the Cremica Group), Brattle Foods Ltd, International Fresh Farm Products Ltd, Maninder Rice Mills, Kolkata-based LMJ Ltd, and an entrepreneur from the US have shown their interest.

In Karnataka, Capital Foods Ltd had shown interest in these food parks. In Maharashtra, Pantaloons Retail (India) Ltd, Paithan Mega Food Park, Temptation Foods Ltd, Dhoot Developers Pvt Ltd and Skil Infrastructure Ltd have shown their interest in these units. Temptation Foods Ltd is one of the applicants among the five with interest in the facilities in Uttar Pradesh.

The government is encouraging a public-private partnership model for setting up these food parks as these ventures will require huge investments. "We are encouraging three-four private players to come together to set up a food park so that the investments are shared. The government gives Rs50 crore as assistance for each food park, but that is not enough," said Mr Sinha.

http://www.moneylife.in/article/8/7980.html

खदानों से रेत निकालने पर रोक

Jagran, 23rd May 2010

फिरोजपुर-पंजाब एवं हरियाणा हाईकोर्ट ने एक जनहित याचिका को स्वीकार करते हुए राज्य भर के रेत खदानों से रेत निकालने पर रोक लगा दी है। इस संबंध में कोर्ट ने सरकार को राज्य भर की रेत खदान की पूरी रिपोर्ट अदालत में पेश करने के निर्देश भी दिए है।

मिली जानकारी के मुताबिक हाईकोर्ट द्वारा सरकार से हर जिले की रिपोर्ट मांगी गई है की किस जिले में कितने खदान है, वहीं दूसरी ओर कोर्ट द्वारा जारी किए निर्देशों की पालना करते हुए जिला फिरोजपुर उद्योग केंद्र के जरनल मैनेजर ने भी सख्ती बरतनी शुरू कर दी है। जिले में अदालत द्वारा रोक लगाए जाने की पुष्टि जिला उद्योग केंद्र के जीएम रुप लाल बग्गा द्वारा की गई है। इस संबंध में बग्गा का कहना है की हाईकोर्ट के आदेशों की पालना करते हुए उन्होंने विभाग के कर्मचारियों को जिले की खदान पर कड़ी नजर रखने के निर्देश दे दिए है। इसके तहत जिला पुलिस की सहायता से रेत से लदी कई ट्रैक्टर को काबू किया गया है।

बग्गा ने बताया कि कोई भी ठेकेदार कोर्ट की इजाजत के बिना खदान से रेत नहीं ले सकता। कोर्ट के निर्देश पर जिले में कितनी खादान है इसकी एक रिपोर्ट तैयार की जा रही है जिसे अगले सप्ताह पंजाब एव हरियाणा हाईकोर्ट में पेश करने से पहले विभाग के वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों को सौंपा जाएगा। फिलहाल रेत खदान से रेत निकालने का काम बंद कर दिया गया है।

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_6433241.html

Homing in on farmhouses to boost rural tourism

Rajni Shaleen Chopra
9th April 2010
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/homing-in-on-farmhouses-to-boost-rural-tourism/602074/1

Encouraged by the success of rural tourism in other parts of the country, Punjab has decided to rejuvenate its initiatives in this field and promote its plush farmhouses as a destination for tourists tired of city life. The Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mahindra Homestays to professionally train owners of the farmhouses identified by it. The training will be on how to bring their premises on par with the expectations of tourists. These 23 farmhouses had been approved by the board last year as part of its efforts to promote farm tourism.

The company boasts of a partnership with nearly 140 homestays — its 'boutique hotels' — across the country. It has now joined hands with the owners of four farmhouses in Punjab and will provide them marketing support to ensure better business. A homestay is an accommodation provided in a private residence for tourists and is run by the house owner.

Razit Bhandari, Manager (Marketing) of the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, said the board approached Mahindra Homestays to seek help in marketing the farmhouses in a better manner. "We want to promote farm tourism in Punjab. The state's rural appeal is a major selling point among domestic and international tourists, and we wanted the support of a professional concern in helping us seek our objective," he said.

The four farmhouses taken on board by the company are Citrus County near Hoshiarpur, The Retreat near Ropar, Mann Farm House near Fatehgarh Sahib and Jyani Natural Farm near Fazilka. Talking to The Indian Express, Vimla Dorairaju of Mahindra Homestays said: "We had conducted an extensive study in the UK and India about the kind of places that people would like to visit as tourists. In both countries, we found that people had a distinct preference for rural or plantation homes."

Kanwaljit Singh Brar, owner of The Retreat, said he was hoping the tie-up with Mahindra Homestays would give them better business. "We are looking for overseas business, as homestays are very popular in Europe and America."

Vinod Jyani of Jyani Natural Farm and Nartesh Kaur Mann of Mann Farm House, too, agreed that the tie-up would give their properties more exposure.

Dr Ashok Dhawan : Fazilka born Agriculture Scientist bags Noel Deerr Award for research work

Fazilite Dr Ashok Dhawan has been award with Noel Deerr for the year 2008 for his research by the Sugar Technologists Association of India. At present Dr Dhawan is working as Director (Technical), Centre for Plant Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, Hissar. Born in the family of Dr. Ved Parkash Dhawan in 1952, he did his matriculation from Govt. Senior Secondary School Fazilka. He is elder to famous physician of Fazilka Dr. Ajay Dhawan.

Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam presented the award during inaugural ceremony of the Annual Convention of STAI held at Hotel Radisson Plaza, Udaipur on August 26, 2009. The convention highlighted the major research activities going on in sugarcane industry.

Dr Dhawan and his group working at regional research station of CCS Haryana Agriculture University, Uchani, Karnal have been involved in deciphering the physiological and molecular mechanisms of sugar transport and accumulation for over 22 years. After taking his basic education from Fazilka later Dr Dhawan did his M. Sc. from Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences, Pilani (1974) and Ph.D. from Panjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (1977) both in first division. He worked as Research Fellowship at Panjab University, Chandigarh and Science Talent Internships at Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore during 1974-75 in India and later joined ANU Scholar at Australian National University, Canberra, Australia during 1977-79. He remained Visiting Scientist at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Upsala, Sweden during 1985 and University of California, Davis, USA 1997 to 1999. He Joined Haryana Agricultural University as Assistant Professor in 1980, as Associate professor in 1986 and promoted to full Professor in 1994. A total of 107 publications are on his name in his field. Dr Dhawan Supervised twenty-six research students: some for degrees, others as research fellows and associates in projects

Dr Dhawan was recently invited by University of Saskatchewan, Canada to Deliver a lecture on "Sugar accumulations in sugarcane stems; a unique system, dynamic controls". He is currently operating as Principal Investigator, two DBT and one DST.

Dr Dhawan is pioneer in Development of three major technologies: PCR based markers for identification of specific alleles of sucrose synthase-2 and invertase genes in sugarcane, Brassica variety RH-781; this has been released as a frost tolerant variety for the State of Haryana and is extremely popular with the farmers in frost prone areas and a technology for improving germination of sugarcane setts. This has gone into "Package of Practices" of Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar.

In addition to this Dr Dhawan has been recipients of several awards and appreciations including J.J. Chinoy Award by Indian Society for Plant Physiology 2007, Y. S. Murthy Memorial lecture Award by Indian Botanical Society 2007, Nanda Memorial Lecture Award from Indian Society for Plant Physiology 2006, Fellow, Sugar Technologists Association of India, UGC Visiting Fellow to K.U., Kurukshetra 2004, Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding contributions, University of California, Davis, USA 1998, Member Board of studies, Kurukshetra University, Bhopal University, Commendation certificate by Teachers Association, CCSHAU 1996 Certificate of Honour by the vice-chancellor CCSHAU, Hissar 1997, Roll of honour by Haryana Agricultural University 2003, Letter of appreciation from Vice-chancellor HAU for period 1997-2002, Member, ICAR panel of Scientists for evaluation of research projects, 1995- 97.

We Fazilite congratulate Dr Dhawan for his outstanding work in his field

Punjab farmers adopt direct seeding method for paddy cultivation

From ANI Ludhiana, July 7: To overcome the problems caused by shortage of farm labourers and scarcity of water for irrigation, farmers in Punjab have adopted direct seeding methodology for paddy cultivation. The technique has come as a major blessing for paddy growers. The 'directly sown paddy' without the troublesome puddling exercise is a boon for the farmers. The technique brings about a saving of as much up to 150 USD per acre.

The method, which is currently being used in Patiala, Amritsar and Fazilka, helps in tackling the problem of labor shortage and in saving water up to a whopping 60 per cent. The paddy growers are extremely happy with the technique. "I gave up the traditional method of paddy sowing. It required water to be filled for 15 days. With direct sowing technique we can save water. I have increased the area under paddy cultivation from 10 acres to 14 acres," said Manohar Singh, a farmer. "We learned about direct paddy sowing from other farmers, who successfully used this technique last year. It is better than the traditional 'puddling'. We are able to save time and water, which is in short supply," said Sarat Singh, another farmer. To promote direct paddy sowing in the state many NGOs like Zamindara Farm Solutions have come forward to provide implements and share knowledge about the technique. "As far as global warming is concerned, we need to stop it by preventing Green House Emissions. We have made a thorough research on the net about the direct sowing technique. We realized that 'puddling' also involves large amount of gases. It is a big source of green house gas emission. We have to save water for a better future," said, Vikram Ahuja, owner, Zamindara farm solutions. Many corporates like PepsiCo, working with farmers from Punjab on contract basis also promote 'direct seeding' for paddy. The success of direct paddy sowing will help to increase the total area under paddy cultivation in Punjab and rest of India. The Agriculture department is also coming up with a 100-acre exhibition plot to make the farmers better informed about the new technique.

By Avtar Gill(ANI)

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/321639.php

फाजिल्का में कृषि विज्ञान केंद्र की पक्षधर है पीएयू

फाजिल्का-फाजिल्का जैसे खेतीबाड़ी के मामले में लगातार पिछड़ रहे इलाके की खुशहाली के लिए कृषि संबंधी समस्याएं दूर करने के लिए कृषि विज्ञान केंद्र (केवीके) सरीखी संस्था का यहां होना जरूरी है। यह उद्गार पंजाब कृषि यूनिवर्सिटी (पीएयू) ंके वाइस चांसलर डा. मंजीत सिंह कंग ने अपने फाजिल्का आगमन के दौरान 'दैनिक जागरण' के साथ बातचीत में प्रकट किए।
डा. कंग ने फाजिल्का फार्मर्स आर्गेनाइजेशन आफ एग्रीकल्चर डेवलपमेंट द्वारा आयोजित किसान मेले से पहले संगठन द्वारा स्थापित किसान सेवा केंद्र का उद्घाटन करने के बाद बातचीत में कहा कि पंजाब कृषि यूनिवर्सिटी हर क्षेत्र की खास फसल के बारे में समय-समय पर रिसर्च कार्यक्रम चलाती रहती है। साथ ही यूनिवर्सिटी का प्रयास रहता है कि उस इलाके के किसानों को फसल संबंधी कोई समस्या न आए।
डा. कंग ने कहा कि वह तीसरी दफा फाजिल्का आए है और जानते है कि फाजिल्का में धान खासकर बासमती और नरमा की फसल काफी अच्छी गुणवत्ता वाली होती है। संगठन के चेयरमैन सुरेद्र आहूजा से पता चला है कि यहां खराब जमीनी पानी, अपर्याप्त नहरी पानी, दिनोंदिन बिगड़ रहे वातावरण के चलते दोनों परंपरागत फसलों को काफी नुकसान हो रहा है। इसलिए संगठन ने ही उन्हे सुझाव दिया है कि उपमंडल के गांव मौजम में कृषि विभाग की 22 एकड़ भूमि खाली पड़ी है, जिस पर केवीके सरीखे संस्थान का निर्माण किया जा सकता है।
डा. कंग ने कहा कि वह यूनिवर्सिटी की ओर से सरकार से मौजम में रिसर्च सेंटर बनाने की सिफारिश करेगे। राज्य सरकार के तमाम प्रयासों के बावजूद कृषि विभिन्नता के प्रयास सफल न होने का कारण पूछने पर वीसी डा. कंग ने कहा कि अकेले राज्य सरकार के प्रयासों से कुछ नहीं होता जब तक केंद्र सरकार परंपरागत फसलों गेहूं व धान के प्रति अपनी नीति नहीं बदलती। आर्गेनिक खेती बाबत पंजाब कृषि यूनिवर्सिटी के रवैये बाबत पूछने पर वीसी डा. कंग ने कहा कि पीएयू आर्गेनिक खेती के खिलाफ नहीं है, लेकिन जिस प्रकार हम खेतीबाड़ी में रासायनों के आदी हो चुके है उससे एकदम से रासायनों का प्रयोग बंद कर देना मुमकिन नहीं है। स्पष्ट शब्दों में कहे तो वर्तमान में रासायनों के बिना खेतीबाड़ी की कल्पना भी नहीं की जा सकती। आर्गेनिक खेती से गिरे उत्पादन के बारे में पूछने पर डा. कंग ने कहा कि आर्गेनिक खेती का रुझान बढ़ रहा है, यह अच्छी बात है लेकिन इसका उत्पादन पर जो असर पड़ रहा है उसकी पूर्ति नई वैरायटियों से की जा सकती है। इस मौके पर डा. कंग के साथ प्रगतिशील किसान सुरेद्र आहूजा, प्रेम बब्बर, इंजीनियर संजीव नागपाल, डा. अशोक धवन, डा. कपित त्रिखा आदि मौजूद थे।

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_4859960.html

फाजिल्का में कृषि विज्ञान केंद्र की पक्षधर है पीएयू

फाजिल्का-फाजिल्का जैसे खेतीबाड़ी के मामले में लगातार पिछड़ रहे इलाके की खुशहाली के लिए कृषि संबंधी समस्याएं दूर करने के लिए कृषि विज्ञान केंद्र (केवीके) सरीखी संस्था का यहां होना जरूरी है। यह उद्गार पंजाब कृषि यूनिवर्सिटी (पीएयू) ंके वाइस चांसलर डा. मंजीत सिंह कंग ने अपने फाजिल्का आगमन के दौरान 'दैनिक जागरण' के साथ बातचीत में प्रकट किए।
डा. कंग ने फाजिल्का फार्मर्स आर्गेनाइजेशन आफ एग्रीकल्चर डेवलपमेंट द्वारा आयोजित किसान मेले से पहले संगठन द्वारा स्थापित किसान सेवा केंद्र का उद्घाटन करने के बाद बातचीत में कहा कि पंजाब कृषि यूनिवर्सिटी हर क्षेत्र की खास फसल के बारे में समय-समय पर रिसर्च कार्यक्रम चलाती रहती है। साथ ही यूनिवर्सिटी का प्रयास रहता है कि उस इलाके के किसानों को फसल संबंधी कोई समस्या न आए।
डा. कंग ने कहा कि वह तीसरी दफा फाजिल्का आए है और जानते है कि फाजिल्का में धान खासकर बासमती और नरमा की फसल काफी अच्छी गुणवत्ता वाली होती है। संगठन के चेयरमैन सुरेद्र आहूजा से पता चला है कि यहां खराब जमीनी पानी, अपर्याप्त नहरी पानी, दिनोंदिन बिगड़ रहे वातावरण के चलते दोनों परंपरागत फसलों को काफी नुकसान हो रहा है। इसलिए संगठन ने ही उन्हे सुझाव दिया है कि उपमंडल के गांव मौजम में कृषि विभाग की 22 एकड़ भूमि खाली पड़ी है, जिस पर केवीके सरीखे संस्थान का निर्माण किया जा सकता है।
डा. कंग ने कहा कि वह यूनिवर्सिटी की ओर से सरकार से मौजम में रिसर्च सेंटर बनाने की सिफारिश करेगे। राज्य सरकार के तमाम प्रयासों के बावजूद कृषि विभिन्नता के प्रयास सफल न होने का कारण पूछने पर वीसी डा. कंग ने कहा कि अकेले राज्य सरकार के प्रयासों से कुछ नहीं होता जब तक केंद्र सरकार परंपरागत फसलों गेहूं व धान के प्रति अपनी नीति नहीं बदलती। आर्गेनिक खेती बाबत पंजाब कृषि यूनिवर्सिटी के रवैये बाबत पूछने पर वीसी डा. कंग ने कहा कि पीएयू आर्गेनिक खेती के खिलाफ नहीं है, लेकिन जिस प्रकार हम खेतीबाड़ी में रासायनों के आदी हो चुके है उससे एकदम से रासायनों का प्रयोग बंद कर देना मुमकिन नहीं है। स्पष्ट शब्दों में कहे तो वर्तमान में रासायनों के बिना खेतीबाड़ी की कल्पना भी नहीं की जा सकती। आर्गेनिक खेती से गिरे उत्पादन के बारे में पूछने पर डा. कंग ने कहा कि आर्गेनिक खेती का रुझान बढ़ रहा है, यह अच्छी बात है लेकिन इसका उत्पादन पर जो असर पड़ रहा है उसकी पूर्ति नई वैरायटियों से की जा सकती है। इस मौके पर डा. कंग के साथ प्रगतिशील किसान सुरेद्र आहूजा, प्रेम बब्बर, इंजीनियर संजीव नागपाल, डा. अशोक धवन, डा. कपित त्रिखा आदि मौजूद थे।
http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_4859960.html

A forgotten form of soil regeneration takes root again

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/a-forgotten-form-of-soil-regeneration-takes-root-again_10037445.html
By Ranjana Narayan
Faridkot (Punjab), April 13 (IANS) Vinod Jyani, a farmer of Punjab’s Fazilka district, is a happy man. His paddy crop this year has been very good, without much fertiliser or water being used - thanks to mulching, an age-old system of soil regeneration that has almost gone out of use. Jyani, who grows wheat, paddy, millet, corn, sugarcane and fruits in his 140-acre farm, had begun to despair when he found the yield falling over the past several years. Continuous use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides had made the soil lose its nutrients, as is the case with most farm land in Punjab.
Then he learnt of natural farming techniques - not using chemicals but only biological ingredients like cow dung or cow urine - and of mulching to regenerate the soil.
Jyani tried mulching - covering the soil with a layer of dried leaves or hay to let the soil microbes multiply - on one acre on which he grew paddy.
The result had him elated.
“I got a good paddy crop this year and what’s more, with 50 percent less water, which is a necessary requirement for growing rice. I plan to do grow paddy in five-six acres this year after mulching the soil,” Jyani told IANS.
Explaining the method, Jyani said he would spread the mulch made of dried leaves, grass or crop residue in the field a week after transplanting the paddy saplings from the nurseries.
“This covering prevents the soil moisture from evaporating, helping me save on water. It also makes the soil microbes thrive, which are necessary for the soil to get back its nutrients.”
Jyani is using the technique in his fruit orchards too. He covers the base of the fruit trees with biomass made of crop residue.
“Another big advantage of mulching is that it does not allow weeds to grow. The mulching cuts off the sunlight to the weeds.”
Jyani decided to take to natural farming after being convinced by the Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a non-government organisation based in Faridkot, which is working towards ecologically sustainable methods of agriculture.
KVM head Umendra Dutt told IANS: “Mulching is an age-old technique that went out of use after the Green Revolution (in the 1970s). Farmers were told to burn the crop residues instead of using it to spread on the soil. This burning only leads to pollution and the ash does not benefit the soil in any way.”
According to Dutt, crops “don’t need water but moisture”. “Mulching helps reduce use of water, keeping only enough moisture in the soil for the crops.”
Irrigation can lead to “glut of water in the soil, thereby spoiling the soil oxidation process”.
P.L. Gautam, deputy director general of crop science at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), told IANS that mulching had gone out of use in large farms due to mechanised farming.
However, he agreed that it was the most cost-effective technique for soil regeneration. “The crop residues used for mulching also act as humus for the soil. It is by and large a useful method for conserving water. The soil gets recharged.”
One way, said Gautam, was through ‘plastic mulching’, spreading large plastic sheets on the field, which gave the same benefits.
However, according to Dutt, this method is not as useful as natural mulching because it cuts off the oxygen supply to the soil - a vital ingredient for soil oxidation.
Now other farmers in Fazilka and parts of Punjab are opting for mulching, though in small areas first, said Jyani. “It needs two-three years for the soil to begin regenerating itself through mulching. Therefore farmers cannot afford to do it on all their land, even though they find it very useful.
“The government should give a subsidy, like they do for fertiliser, to farmers who opt for natural farming in order to tide over the initial years during the transition,” he said.