The promotion Of Food Processing, Animal Husbandry And Fisheries

For the first time in India, the Karnataka Agriculture Mission under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister will now help integrate and coordinate the development activities in horticulture, agriculture, animal husbandry and allied sectors.

A high-powered Mission Committee will be set up with agricultural scientists, progressive farmers and NGOs apart from ministers and senior officers of the concerned departments.

The state is disbursing Rs 1,750 crore to the cooperative societies. As a part of the Prime Minister's package for the farmers in 6 districts of the state, the government has provided around Rs.335 crore.

For improving productivity in agriculture, the revised 2008-09 budget has provided Rs 1,974 crore for the sector. This is 64% more than the allocation made during the year 2007-08. Out of this, Rs 1,603 crore related to agriculture and horticulture, Rs 319 crore for animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries and Rs 52 crore for sericulture activities.

A subsidy of 25% will be provided for establishing cold storage and constructing ware-housing godowns in rural areas for storing agriculture produce.

A major programme would be launched to promote production of organic manure and adoption of organic farming methods by farmers in at least 1000 villages. An assistance of Rs 2000 will be given to those families which adopt organic farming methods. An allocation of Rs 100 crore has been made for the organic farming movement.

A University of Agricultural Sciences will be established at Raichur at a cost of Rs 5 crore. In order to promote horticulture, a separate agriculture university will be established at Bagalkot.

Animal husbandry being a secondary occupation for the farming community, it is proposed to provide a cash incentive of Rs 2 per litre of milk sold by the farmers to milk cooperative societies. This incentive will be directly given to the dairy cooperative societies at the village level.

Fishermen will be provided loans at an interest of 3% per annum through cooperatives. The fishing harbour at Malpe will be developed at a cost of Rs 12 crore this year. Dredging of other fishing harbours will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 5 crore.

An amount of Rs 10 crore has been provided for development of roads in fishing areas. Complete exemption will be granted from VAT for the ice used by fishermen for preserving fish.