Centre prod for farm centre in hills

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling: The Union ministry of agriculture has directed Bengal to examine a proposal to set up a centre of excellence for horticulture and floriculture in Kalimpong.

In a letter to the Bengal horticulture mission director, the ministry has also ordered revival of potato seed farms and development of international marketing avenues, besides exploring the possibility of providing minimum support price for ginger, cardamom.

Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista had last month written to agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar highlighting the demand. "It is requested to examine the proposal and take necessary action for inclusion in the annual action plan (AAP) if deemed appropriate…as per…MIDH guidelines, extant allocation, delegated powers and requirement of the state," S.K. Kaul, assistant commissioner, has said in a letter to Bengal's mission director on September 5.

Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), assistance is provided for horticulture development, from production to post-harvest management, including establishment of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) through the states.

The ministry has referred Bista's letter to Tomar on August 17, 2019. "Today, I received a letter from Hon'ble Minister in which he has informed me that the mission director for State Horticulture Mission, Govt. of West Bengal, has been instructed to examine the proposal and take necessary action," Bista said in a statement.