HSAMB to set up horticulture packaging centres

Chandigarh, Nov 21 (UNI) The Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) will set up grading, sorting and packaging centres for horticulture produce at 15 different places of the state with the assistance of NABARD at a cost of Rs 67 crore.

For the grading and packaging of Kinnow, one such centre would be set up at a cost of Rs eight crore at Abubsheher of district Sirsa in which varieties of Kinnow products would be prepared for the purpose of export.

Chief Administrator of the Board Ram Niwas said that purchase centres would be set up in the district for the procurement of Kinnow from where the air-conditioned vehicles would carry this crop to the grading and packaging centre of Abubsheher.

The crop would be sorted out on the basis of quality so that the quality produce of the farmers could be exported to other countries and farmers could get remunerative prices.

Mr Ram Niwas said such centres would also be set up for other fruits and vegetables.

In Shahabad, a Potato centre would be set up for the packaging, grading and preservation of potato crop. In Beri village of Jhajjhar, a centre would be set up for onion, in Karnal for tomato and in Sonepat for mushrooms. Air conditioned storage facilities would also be provided at these centres.

He said, for the surprise raids to check the quality of developmental works which were under progress at a cost of Rs 950 crore, teams of four flying squads had been constituted which were also checking the collection of market fees in the mandis all over the state.

This drive of the Board had borne fruits and by plugging all the loopholes, the pilferage of market fee had been checked. As a result, collection of this fee had increased by 28 per cent which was a record increase. The collection of market fee had not only increased in the procurement of paddy crop but also in the procurement of cotton in the state mandis.

UNI