State to target over Rs 3000 crore export of horticulture products

Bangalore, Aug 31 (UNI) Karnataka has exported over Rs 2450 crores of Horticulture products including Flowers during 2006-07, had set a target of Rs 3000 crore for the current year, Karnataka Horticulture minister Shashikanth Akkappa Naik informed here today.

Addressing newsmen here today Mr Naik said that horticulture products included Cashew, spices, Mango, Gerkin and processed foods and flowers.

Thanks to several initiatives taken by the Horticulture department to promote higher production of horticulture products, the export was expected to jump by over 20 per cent.

He said Karnataka was also making stride in exploiting floriculture market and had exported 3 crore of flowers including rose to EU, US and Africa.

He also informed that the Union government had agreed to include six more districts under the National Horticulture Mission. "The total number of districts brought under the NHM programme in Karnataka will increase to 23," he said.

The new districts included Chitradurga, Hassan, Dharwar and Haveri. The Center had released Rs 153 crore for 2007-08 under NHM and state government has also taken initiatives to fill vacancies in the department, he said.

The new Horticulture University at Bhagalkot had come into existence. The state government has identified over 1225 acres of land for the emerging University, he said.

UNI