The Maharashtra government has decided to launch a project with $85 million funding from the Asian Development Bank, which will augment the agriculture infrastructure in the State.

The project is named Agribusiness Infrastructure Development Investment Program (AIDIP) and aims to achieve accelerated investment in agriculture sector and to support related infrastructure in rural areas. Funds would be used for expanding the whole agriculture product value chain in the State.

Innovation in cold chains and warehousing can make the country a leading exporter of horticulture products. Absence of proper cold chains and associated logistics in India leads to wastage of fresh produce to the extent of 25-30%, annual equivalent of over . 50,000 crore. About 30-40% of these losses occur in farmers’ fields and in packing, the remaining in transportation and marketing. A study by Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, revealed that more fruit, vegetables, poultry and dairy products end up in trash bins than on dining tables.

Acting on the directives of the Centre, States such as Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana are ready with their annual plans to boost horticulture production.

Besides these States, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa have also drawn the annual action plan for 2012-13 horticulture year, sources in the Agriculture Ministry said.

The Centre has asked the States to ensure that Annual Action Plans for the horticulture year are cleared by April 15, they added.

Scientists at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) here have developed three varieties of high-value grapes having ability to mature before the monsoon season.

The recent introduction and evaluation of the varieties under the fruit and vegetable development programme has discovered that

Sandip Das

SandipDas
New Delhi,

WHILE SWEDEN AND UK ACCEPT INDIAN GRAPES, GERMANY & NETHERLANDS YET TO CLEAR CONSIGNMENTS FOR SAFETY REASONS

Hrishikesh Joshi / Pune May 06, 2010, 0:50 IST

A little over two weeks after European Union (EU) authorities rejected a 52,000-tonne export consignment of Indian grapes worth Rs 300 crore, the issue is yet to be resolved.