III. GUWAHATI SUMMIT ON COMMODITY BOARDS, APEDA, INLAND WATER TRANSPORT, FLOOD AND EROSION CONTROL AND IRRIGATION SECTOR – 9-11 MARCH, 2007
S.No. |
Actionable Points |
Action Taken |
1. |
Indian Institute of Plantation Management be set up at Jorhat by June, 2007 with mandate to undertake training programmes. |
Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM) has been set up in the campus of Tea Research Association (TRA) and a pilot project has been started. |
2. |
A Task Force chaired by Shri P.P. Shrivastav, Member, NEC with representatives from the Rubber Board, DONER/NEC and Department of Commerce and the NE States as members be constituted to prepare a detailed Action Plan for taking up Rubber Plantation in the identified areas of the NE States. Dr. Binay Singh, Adviser (Agriculture), NEC shall be the convenor. The Task Force should examine existing Central programmes, identify gaps and recommend specific measures for promoting rubber plantations in the NER. The Tripura model of rubber cultivation to be considered by the Task Force. Report to be submitted by 15.4.2007 to the Chairman, NEC. |
Report has been submitted to Ministry of Commerce. The Scheme for Rubber Development in NE Region prepared by the Rubber Board for implementation during the XIth plan period has been revised in the light of the decisions of the Guwahati Summit on Commodities. The PMO has also directed to take steps for replantation and rejuvenation of old plantations. As per the revised scheme for rubber development in North East, during the XIth Plan, 25000 ha will be newly planted and 1750 ha of old plantations will be replanted. The scheme has components for productivity enhancement, quality upgradation of small growers’ rubber, farmer group formation, training/ human resource development, market promotion and research. The scheme envisages opening of new Regional Offices and Field Stations of the Board in remote areas. Based on the additional activities proposed, the outlay of the scheme for Rubber Development in NE Region for the XIth Plan has been revised from Rs. 118.10 crore to Rs. 180.13 crore. This is an approved scheme now.
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3 |
APEDA to operationalise four Agriculture Export Zones (AEZs) in Tripura (1) for pineapples, Sikkim (2) for ginger, orchids and cherry pepper and in Assam (1) for fresh & processed ginger by 12/ 2007. |
The Government of India has sanctioned the following AEZs in the North East Region and all of them are operationalized: Assam – Fresh & Processed Ginger
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4. |
APEDA to expedite conclusions of negotiation with cargo companies to provide complete cold chains in the NER. |
APEDA has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs.594 lakhs to Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) for establishment of packhouse and 4 collection centers for export of ginger. Rs.157 lakhs has already been released to AIDC. Work on the packhouse has started. |
5. |
APEDA to coordinate consultations with CONCOR and NERAMAC to work-out the logistics for a complete cold chain from the field to the point of export. |
APEDA had signed an MOU with M/s Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) in which APEDA was expected to create the infrastructure and CONCOR. A business plan was submitted by CONCOR to APEDA seeking financial assistance for viability gap funding. APEDA does not have any provision in its budget for funding. APEDA requires Rs. 87.9cr(capital Grant of Rs.32.9 Cr) over 2 years for this project. CONCOR will prepare a DPR taking into consideration a walk-in type cold storage facility (to be created by APEDA, operated by CONCOR)., within 1 month (By 13th June,2008), for setting up of cargo handling infrastructure & submit it to Tripura Govt., with a copy to MDONER. State Govt., will forward the proposal to APEDA and keep M/o Civil Aviation informed. Cold room facilities are proposed to be established in Agartala and Dimapur airports. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) have allocated open space to create these facilities at these Airports. At other airports – Imphal & Aizawl, AAI has still to allocate the space. In the absence of funds with APEDA, cold room facilities cannot be created. |
6. |
State Governments to designate nodal departments/officers for interaction with APEDA. |
State Governments have yet to designate the names of nodal officers. |
7. |
Tea Board to introduce incentives for orthodox tea planting and set-up Village Resource Centers to assist small tea growers during 11th Plan. More mini factories be set up. |
A Scheme to assist small tea growers from the Xth Plan has been continued in the XIth Plan. New provisions have been added which also include assistance to mini factories.
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8. |
Tea Board to announce a separate logo and GI for Assam Orthodox Tea within three months. |
An application has been filed and the same is under process. |
9. |
Assam Government to issue “possession certificates” to all small tea growers within one month to enable them to register with Tea Board. |
The Government of Assam has already initiated process of issuing ‘possession certificates’ to small tea growers. However, the progress is stated to be slow. |
10. |
Transport subsidy for tea exported directly from ICD, Amingaon, Assam @ Rs.1.50 per kg to be introduced. |
The scheme is now continuing in the XIth Plan. |
11. |
Tea Board to support promotional activities in association with the industry. |
International Tea Convention has been held in Guwahati from 22-24 November 2007. |
12. |
Tea Board to streamline electronic auction system for online trading of tea. |
M/s Accenture was entrusted the work but they have backed out and now the project has been given to M/s New Creation Information Technologies (NCIT) for Rs. 9.34 crore. |
13. |
Tea Board to support Tea Research Association (TRA) and Tea Research Foundation (TRF). |
Both TRA and TRF subsidized and their schemes continuing in the XIth Plan. |
14. |
Tea Board to support labour welfare measures including capital grants for extension of school buildings and construction of hostels, medical facilities and purchase of equipment, sports activities, sanitation and drinking water for tea garden labour. |
Rs. 6 crore was released in the Xth Plan. A provision of Rs. 50 crore has been kept in the XIth Plan for such measures.
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15. |
Tea Board to support diversification/multi-cropping and intensify marketing support. |
A Committee was set up under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce. The Committee recommended that specific provisions should be included in the lease agreement permitting alternate cropping. However, the land to be allowed for alternative cropping should not exceed 10% of the total area and utilizing only the available vacant land available in tea gardens. International Finance Corporation (IFC) is funding projects involving diversification in the use of tea garden. |
16. |
Rubber should be the major thrust area during the 11th Plan, with active collaboration among the stake-holders – Department of Commerce, Rubber Board, Ministry of DONER/NEC and the North Eastern States. |
Task Force created under Chairmanship of Shri P.P. Shrivastava, Member, NEC. Report was submitted to the Ministry of Commerce. The Scheme for Rubber Development in NE Region prepared earlier by the Rubber Board for implementation during the XIth plan period has been revised in the light of the decisions of the Guwahati Summit on Commodities. The PMO has also directed to take steps for replantation and rejuvenation of old plantations. As per the revised scheme for rubber development in North East, during the XIth Plan period, 25000 ha will be newly planted and 1750 ha of old plantations will be replanted. The scheme has components for productivity enhancement, quality upgradation of small growers’ rubber, Farmer group formation, training/ human resource development, Market Promotion and Research. For achieving the revised planting targets and undertaking the other activities proposed, active involvement and cooperation of the State Governments is needed. The scheme envisages opening of new Regional Offices and Field Stations of the Board in remote areas. Based on the additional activities proposed, the outlay of the scheme for Rubber Development in NE Region for the XIth Plan has been revised from Rs. 118.10 crore to Rs. 180.13 crore. This is an approved scheme now.
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17. |
Rubber Board to fund for area expansion and rejuvenation of sick plantations and introduce technology for increasing productivity. |
A detailed Project Report for new plantation of rubber in 60,000 ha in Tripura, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland over 10 years from 2007-08 has been submitted to the Ministry of Commerce by Rubber Board. The scheme has a total outlay of Rs. 180 crore, exclusively for the North East. This is an enhancement from the earlier Rs. 118.10 crore. The XIth and XIIth Plan will cover 25,000 ha of plantations of rubber. Approval of the Cabinet for the scheme has been obtained.
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18. |
Rubber Board to address locations specific agro-management and processing problems. Rubber Board to upgrade quality at primary process level for better price to farmers and support formation and empowerment of farmer groups. |
Part of the NE Scheme envisages three regional resource centres at Agartala, Guwahati and Tura. |
19. |
Rubber Board to maintain and support nurseries by Gram Panchayats and SHGs. |
Nurseries of the Rubber Board are maintained planned in the Region. Self Help Groups and Gram Panchayats are being involved for development of nurseries |
20. |
Department of Commerce to strengthen all Commodity Boards including Rubber Board to enable intensification of their activities in the NER. |
Rubber Board has forwarded a proposal for increasing 135 posts to Ministry of Commerce. Some technical posts have been approved while the other manpower requirements are being processed. |
21. |
States to earmark and allot land for rubber plantations and emulate the Tripura model. State Governments to designate department and officer as nodal agency in the respective States for coordination with the Rubber Board. |
Action by State Governments. |
22. |
Spices Board to be strengthened and to intensify its activities in the NER to promote spices production and productivity particularly that of organic spices. Investments by Spices Board to be increased commensurate with the proposed intensified programmes in the Region. |
Spices Board have submitted a programme for replanting and rejuvenation of large cardamom in Sikkim where it has planned to replant and rejuvenate 20,000 ha. Currently Sikkim is importing 605 tonnes of large cardamom from Nepal. This is part of the programme on Special Purpose Fund for spices considered as thrust area by PMO. The various programmes envisaged in the XIth Plan for the North East States includes large cardamom planting, rain water harvesting, new planting of back pepper, organic ginger etc. for a total of Rs. 19.77 crore. |
23. |
The tripartite agreement between ITC, State Governments and the Spices Board to be signed during the 3rd N.E. Business Summit being organized jointly by M/o DONER and ICC, Kolkata at New Delhi from 10-11 April 2007. |
The first agreement was signed on 23.10.2007 between representatives of Nagaland Government, Spices Board and ITC. This programme is to expand cultivation of quality chillies in Nagaland, its procurement, trading and export. The duration of the pilot project is three years. |
24. |
An MOU has been signed between Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and the Spices Board for research on spices. Dr. C.S. Paulose of CUSAT be invited to the 3rd N.E. Business Summit. |
An agreement has already been signed between the parties. Dr. C.S. Paulose was invited for the Business Summit in Bangkok. |
25. |
Coffee Board to facilitate consolidation of holdings in NER and also provide financial support for expansion and quality up-gradation. Inter cropping in the coffee plantation also to be promoted. |
The Govt. has approved the XIth Plan proposal for extending financial support for coffee expansion, consolidation and quality up-gradation activities in NER during March 2008. Steps are being initiated by the Coffee Board to implement them. Providing financial support under market support scheme for collection, processing, warehousing, transportation and sale of coffee produced in NE Region will also be continued during XIth Plan. During 2007-08, 100 Nos. of baby pulpers have been procured and distributed to the growers of NER, out of which 50 have been given to the growers in Mizroram and 25 to the growers in Tripura with 50% financial support from respective State Governments and 50% from Coffee Board under the Quality Upgradation Programme. A Mini Coffee Curing Work at Bualpui in Mizoram has been commissioned during April 2007. |
26. |
States to cooperate with Coffee Board for raising coffee plantations in clusters particularly in the States of Nagaland and Mizoram which hold maximum potential |
The Board has requested the Govts. of Mizoram and Nagaland for their co-operation and participation in raising coffee plantations through cluster approach during November 2007. In response to the Board’s request, the Govt. of Mizoram has identified 7 officers for undergoing training on coffee cultivation and these officers have completed the training programme at Bualpui, Mizoram and also at the Central Coffee Research Institute, Karnataka. |
27. |
Coffee Board to provide technical support and build capacity of coffee grower and State Govt. staff for improving production and productivity and facilitate marketing – Village Development Boards in Nagaland and credible NGOs like YMA in Mizoram be mobilised for community participation. NERAMAC to be involved for collection and transportation of produce to a central location for processing and marketing |
The Board is continuing to build the capacity of coffee growers including women, officials of the State Governments to improve production, productivity and quality of coffee and also to facilitate marketing of coffee through field visits conducting on farm training method demonstrations, study tours etc., Under the capacity building measures, 3 out reach Short Term Executive Programme (STEP) of 3 days each was organized by the Coffee Board and Indian Institute of Plantation Managment, Bangalore at Mokokchung in Nagaland, Burnihat in Megahalaya and Kolasib in Mizoram for the benefit of the coffee growers of concerned states between 27th January to 7th February 2008. In addition, a group of 14 coffee growers of Jampui Hills of Tripura state were taken on study tour to Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) as well as coffee plantations of Karnataka state during April 2008. |
28. |
Coffee Board to promote mixed cropping and provide infrastructure support for processing of the produce – presently there is only one coffee processing unit at Bualpui in Mizoram. |
Board has made provision in its XI Plan programme to support establishment of another Mini Coffee Curing Works in NE Region. Meghalaya has shown interest in this regard and as per the Plan scheme, financial support is proposed to be extended during 2009-10. |
29. |
Coffee Board to focus on promoting coffee cultivation in agro-climatically suitable areas of the NER. |
During the XI plan period, the Coffee Board is focused on promoting coffee cultivation in agro climatically suitable areas through cluster approach in NER. The suitable areas/clusters identified for promoting coffee cultivation in different States includes pockets of NC Hills, Karbi Anglong and Chirang area in Assam, parts of Gharo and Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, Mokokchung and Zuneboto areas in Nagaland, Aizawl, Kolasib and Lunglai areas of Mizoram and Jampui Hills of Tripura. The Board has re-organised and located its office network at the proximity of these areas to render necessary technical and financial support to the needy growers. |