Friday 30 December 2011

Food Corporation of India decides to set up four storage structures in Tripura for increasing the food grains storage capacity.

   Recent media reports indicated that food corporation of India has decided to set up four storage structures in Tripura with total storage capacity of 45,000 metric tons. These storage structures have been decided to be set up in the following places:-
          Kumarghat North Tripura district
          Ambassa Dhalai district
          Jirania West Tripura district
          Santirbazar South Tripura district
   These proposed storage structures with individual storage capacity as noted below will increase the total storage capacity of food grain in the state as well as in all India level.
   Place of proposed storage structure Proposed capacity
         Kumarghat 5000 M.T
         Ambassa 5000 M.T
         Jirania 20000 M.T
         Santirbazar 15000 M.T
         Total 45000 M.T

     All these four storage structures are planned to be set in the periphery of the nearest railway line for availing the good transportation facility which until then had to depend mostly on trucks would definitely be a good time and money savers of the Government in the pursuit to the food grain transportation and storage in the designated storage structures.
   Proposed storage structures at Kumarghat, Ambasa and Jirania have already come under within the reach of railway line and the remaining storage structure (proposed) at Santirbazar would also come within the facility of railway line within the few years as works for extension of railway line towards south Tripura district extending up to Sabroom sub-division is stated to be in the progressive side.
    Now, the question is; how do these storage structures help the people of Tripura? Of course, there is no denying that it is through which the state Tripura receives food grain allocation of Government of India in subsidized rates as the case may be and meet the needs of the people of the state.
      But, Tripura, very recently made a mark of improvement in food grain production especially the rice and Tripura is also the recipient for ICAR awards in the north eastern states during the year 2010-11 for remarkable improvement in rice cultivation and production.
       Moreover, there are media reports that rice cultivation in Tripura has become a non-profitable activity due to lower prices and its subsequent affects on the total farm income of the real stake holder of the state.
      In this typical situation; what a farmer and general person can expect from the move of the Government of India in Food Corporation of India?
     The matter of the fact is; do the farmers of the state are capable enough to feed the storage of the food corporation of India in support price? This is the aspect Government would like to take up with the food corporation of India for betterment of the farmers of the state especially the rice farmers of the state
  Agritangkol dated 09.12.2011 at 11.29 P.M

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Promotion for food processing industries in India

    Recent news paper notification of the Ministry of food processing Industries, Government of India should draw the attention of the budding entrepreneurs of the country.
     The Ministry had already facilitated for set up of “scheme for technology up gradation/establishment/modernization of food processing industries” through financial aids under grants-in-aid for setting up of food processing industries in the country by the interested individual stake holder, self help group as the case may be.
     Financial grants for developing technical and civil works of the plant would be provided up to 25% of the total set up cost subject to maximum ceiling of rupees fifty lakhs in normal case in general areas and states. Enhanced grants to the tune of 33.33% of the total set up cost subject to maximum ceiling of rupees seventy five lakhs would be provided in the remote and hilly places like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, north eastern states and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
    In the scheme, sectors like fruit and vegetable processing, consumer industry, dairy technology, grain milling, wine and beer manufacturing, meat and poultry processing and fish processing are considered for promotion with the considerable share of monetary assistance by the Ministry of food processing industry, Government of India.
     In Tripura, of course, this is the matter of all India level where there are only marginal food processing industries that bottlenecks the overall development of agriculture and allied sectors for employment generation and economic reliance.
    In my earlier post titled ‘agro-processing the growth engine of agriculture sector” some situation had been reflected about the gloom picture of food processing sectors in India.
    In Tripura, food processing sectors should be construed as sector that ever existed in the state. It is due to the fact that food processing especially the fruit and vegetable processing in the state is in minuscule level. Whatever is present on date that is NERAMAC is not functioning or closed most of the times in a year.
      Now, how to take this opportunity? And, who is finally paid off for the project to be set up? This is the opportunity for the entrepreneurs to take a stock and grab the start up promotion by the Government irrespective of places and regions because whoever sets up, it would finally pay off to the people of the state.
     Of course, there would be many interested ones to take a plunge on new venture but what he/she lacks is; how to get set go with the project? Opportunity do comes but how to harness this opportunity is another aspect.
     There was the news; once bamboo resource of the Tripura was considered to be suitable niche area for bamboo based paper industry. But, what happened finally was; many companies sent their men just to find out those resources available was not enough to sustain the bamboo based paper industry that required year long raw materials to function in continuity.
   Tripura in particular and India in general, food processing particularly fruit and vegetable processing is the need of the hour for fostering the aspiration of the people and their agriculture produces are marketed in the more vibrant manner for earning substantive income from the sectors.
     The Government in Industries and Commerce department of Tripura and other line department may require home works for preparing the blue print of resources available with a perspective plan for set up of fruit and vegetable processing industries in the state.
     First time entrepreneurs may require this detail for analyzing and finalizing after answering the questionnaire of industry/plant set up in suitable areas.
    The government of India in Ministry of food processing industries(mofpi) is giving special attention for the food processors, bankers and industry associations who are interested to set up food processing industry in north eastern states.
    The concerned state Government should also ensure the good things to happen in the state; this is the time for concerned department to organize state level meets to discuss the issue and settle the project to the suitable contenders if any for the greater cause.
  Bankers of the state should also give practical and pragmatic approach to the project and come forward for help to the interested individual or groups through loan in affordable interest rate thereby ensuring to set up food processing industry in the state.
    Agritangkol dated 09.12.2011 at 11.03 P.M

Monday 26 December 2011

Trust Deficit: Agriculture Sector

     How do general people perceive to the agriculture sector? Of course, it is very difficult to predict the exact and accurate answers, however the general tendency is; agriculture sector suffers from trust factor.    
   People tend to suspect the sector and considers non-viable and subsistence sector that we need to follow. We feel obligated to follow and practice this agriculture sector for our livelihood not beyond anything else. The sector does not have glamour and image.
      The simple negligence and ignorance to the sector is; even parents do not consider marrying off their daughter to a well to do farmers. Instead, a poor paid Government employee is considered worthy for a groom.
      This is the consideration with simple calculation of securing permanent source of income from the Government employment that parents consider safety and security for their daughter.
     Now the question is; why does agriculture sector is viewed as non-viable? What is the reason behind this trust deficit of agriculture sector?
    Actually, agriculture sector is not viewed and considered in business point of view. When the sector is not viewed in the business perspective, it should not scale in the business level of economic reliance.
   Therefore the mindset of subsistence agriculture without business insistence should change for overcoming this trust deficit of agriculture sector.
    Agritangkol dated 09.12.2011 at 05.30 P.M