Karnataka govt promises special funds to promote new veggie, flower species

Stating that Karnataka is eighth in the country in expanding the cultivation of horticultural crops, Horticulture minister hoped the state would become first in the coming days

Karnataka will soon launch programmes to introduce new varieties of vegetables, fruits and flowers developed by scientists at the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) here, said Horticulture Minister R Shankar.

Visiting the National Horticulture Festival (NHF-2021) at the IIHR’s Hesaraghatta campus on Wednesday, Shankar told reporters that a separate budgetary allocation was made to introduce these varieties to farmers across Karnataka.

“IIHR scientists have developed some of the best varieties and these must be available to all farmers,” he said, adding the government was planning to introduce the varieties, along with the latest technology developed by the scientists, through the 715 farmers’ contact centres across the state.

Stating that Karnataka is eighth in the country in expanding the cultivation of horticultural crops, Shankar hoped the state would become first in the coming days.

He directed horticulture department officials to open a separate market for flowers. “We have been facing space constraints in the existing market for the sale of flowers. There are complaints about middlemen coming in the way of floriculturists at fruit and vegetable markets. We will soon resolve this problem and a separate place will be identified for setting up a flower market,” Shankar said.

On the third day of the horticulture fair, the IIHR inked MoUs with four companies for the commercialisation of technology developed by its scientists. Companies from Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu signed the MoUs.

Thousands of farmers from Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagar, Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Ballari, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts arrived by special buses to attend the fair.