(a) whether the Government proposes to set up spices parks in various States/ UTs of the country including Maharashtra;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the measures taken by the Government to provide assistance to the chillies and turmeric producing farmers by integrating the export oriented operation for processing, packaging, storage of spices and their products for value addition cultivation after meeting the quality norms for consumer countries?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)
(a) &(b): Eight Spices Parks with infrastructure for common processing facilities of Spices have been established by Spices Board. At present, Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) is under implementation by Department of Commerce wherein assistance of 50% of the total equity in the project subject to a maximum of Rs. 20 crores is available for establishing trade infrastructure, including Spices Parks. It has been shared with the State Governments including Maharashtra.
(c): Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing several programmes under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture for enhancing production and productivity of chillies and turmeric. In addition, Spices Board also implements many programmes, which inter-alia includes development of infrastructure for common processing facilities in Spice Parks, adaptation of upgraded technology in spice processing, setting up of quality evaluation labs for sampling and testing of export consignments for meeting quality specifications of consuming countries, assistance to farmers for post-harvest quality improvement in spices and imparting training to farmers in Good Agricultural Practices.
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