July 31, 2009
Pawar to Power Rejuvination of Coconut Plants in Kerala
The Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar today inaugurateted National Awards 2008 Function organized by the Coconut Development Board, here today.
Addressing the function, Pawar said that the Coconut is a crop of great socio economic importance which touches the lives of millions of small and marginal growers in the country. The Central Government therefore attaches highest priority to the development of this crop. Due to various efforts of the Government, coconut production, productivity and value addition in this sector has significantly increased. The future thrust in this sector should be on improving the remunerativeness of coconut cultivation. This can be achieved by the production of diversified high value products for both the domestic as well as the international market. The international trade today is almost entirely dominated by Indonesia and the Philippines. India should aim to become a player in the international market particularly in view of the fact that the Central Government is extending considerable support to agro based industries and products from the agricultural sector under the Vishesh Krishi Grama Udyog Yojana. Every effort needs to be taken to avail these incentives and make an entry into the international market.
On this occasion Pawar announced that the Central Government have recently sanctioned a very major scheme for replanting and rejuvenation in Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The total cost of the project is Rs.2275 crores and the central subsidy would be Rs.478 crores. The scheme aims at the total removal of all senile and disease affected palms for which the Central Government will give a subsidy of Rs.500/- per palm subject to a ceiling of Rs.13,000/- per hectare. The farmer will also be eligible for a subsidy of Rs.15,000/- per hectare for rejuvenation of the remaining palms in the garden. Thus a farmer having one hectare of coconut garden will be eligible to receive Central assistance to the tune of Rs.28,000/- per hectare. Additionally, he will also receive replanting assistance at Rs.20/- per seedling. Thus a holistic approach comprising of cutting and removal, replanting and rejuvenation has been taken to mitigate the hardships faced by the coconut farmers. This scheme will be implemented on a pilot basis in the districts of Trivandrum, Kollam and Thrissur and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the remaining three years of the 11th Plan. Depending upon the success of the project, we may consider extending the scheme to other traditional states where there are similar problems. (The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Agriculture, Shri Sharad Pawar addressing presenting the National Award-2008 to Shri Sebastian P. Augustine for Best Coconut Farmer from Kerala, at the distribution of the National Awards of Coconut Development Board, in New Delhi on July 31, 2009.)
Pawar said that there is a need to increase the domestic production of oilseeds to tackle the edible oil deficit in country. He expressed happiness over the recently introduced insurance scheme for coconut climber by the Coconut Development Board. He informed that the coconut palms are at a risk from natural calamities. Coconut crop has not so far come under the preview of agricultural insurance. The Coconut Development Board and the Agricultural Insurance Company have submitted a proposal for introducing palm insurance with the contribution of the State and Central Governments and the coconut farmers. This proposal is under consideration of the Government.
Stressing the need to step up processing and value addition in coconut sector, Pawar said that the coconut farmer’s income can be increased by at least 20% by taking up value addition. Less than 5% of coconut farmers are engaged even in copra making, which itself is only in the nature of primary processing. On account of this, the benefits of MSP for copra was not reaching the coconut farmers. Therefore the Central Government has allowed the procurement of the dehusked nut so that the actual growers will get the benefit of the MSP. He stressed the need to put in place an efficient collection mechanism by the State Government agencies to take all benefits of MSP to reach coconut farmers. He said that farmer’s societies and associations must come forward to take up value addition in coconut so that the primary producers get a more remunerative income. They will be provided with financial support to the extent of 25% of the project cost by the Coconut Development Board under the Technology Mission on Coconut. They will also be provided support for market promotion within the approved norms.
On this occasion Sharad Pawar distributed National Awards to various farmers and industries having excellent performance in the coconut sector. The function was attended by A.A. Jinnah, Member of Parliament and Member of Coconut Development Board, P.C. Chacko, Member of Parliament, Smt. Minnie Mathew, Chairman, Coconut Development Board and other officers of Coconut Development Board, Union Agriculture Ministry and various State Governments
Merger of Indian Companies with Overseas Firms
The Government has said that as per the proposed Companies Bill 2009, the companies registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and companies incorporated in the jurisdiction of such countries as may be notified from time to time by the Central Government, may merge or amalgamate. By virtue of the specific clause on Cross Border merger in the proposed Bill, an Indian company would be able to merge with a foreign company incorporated outside India and vice-versa. Giving this information in the Lok Sabha in a written reply Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister for Corporate Affairs, said that the Companies Bill, 2009 is likely to be introduced in the present session of the Parliament.
