Bangalore, Jan 03:
Karnataka is planning to expand area under orange cultivation by 50 per cent to 15,000 hectares in five years.
The horticulture department has identified Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan districts for expansion of orange growing area.
“As per the plan prepared by us, about 1,000-hectare addition is planned annually till we achieve sizable production level,” S.V. Hittalmani, Additional Director, Karnataka Horticulture Department, told Business Line.
“Looking at the favourable agro-climatic conditions, the department is planning to expand annually 500 hectares in Kodagu and the rest in Chikmagalur and Hassan districts,” he added.
At present, 10,000 hectares are under orange cultivation, mainly grown as intercrop in coffee estates, though real fruit yield comes only from 5,000 to 6,000 hectares.
“After inclusion of orange under National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in the State seven years ago and also by offering Rs 15,000 per hectares as incentives to growers, we are seeing good quantity of oranges in the market,” said Hittalmani.
“Fairly good yield is being reported from Sidapura and Thitimati in Kodagu. Now we plan to replicate this in other districts where we plan to introduce the crop,” he added.
CURRENT YIELD
Current orange production (2012-13 crop year) in the State is estimated at 50,000 tonnes as against 45,000 tonnes last year (2011-12 crop year).
The department is also planning to give a boost to orange cultivation by encouraging fruit processing units in the growing regions. According to Hitalmani, at present a couple of processing units are operating under cooperative societies in Kushalnagar and Gonikoppa in Kodagu.
Hitalmani said the revival of orange in the State has led to steady demand. “Prices early in the season (November) average around Rs 60 a kg. Then it drops to Rs 45 a kg by the middle of the season (December/January) and later it quotes around Rs 50 to 60 as the season ends (February-March).
ORANGE MELA
As a step forward to develop farmer-centric business model, National Horticulture Board (NHB) and Karnataka Horticulture Department are holding an ‘Orange Mela’ in Bangalore from January 4 to 6, said Jagadeesha KG, Director of Horticulture.
For the mela, farmers from orange producing States such as Maharastra, Punjab, Rajasthan, a few States from North-East, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are taking part.
anil.u@thehindu.co.in
source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> Industry / by Anil Urs / Bangalore, January 03rd, 2013
