(a) whether the Government has provided financial assistance to the spices board;
(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the fund likely to be spent on the Vanilla exports; and
(c) the extent to which the assistance to the spices board will help Vanilla growers?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ( SHRI E.V.K.S. ELANGOVAN)
(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. The Government has allocated a Plan budget of Rs. 25.36 crores in 2004-05 and Rs. 30.00 crores in 2005-06 to the Spices Board. Export promotion schemes are implemented by the Spices Board with a view to promote the export of all spices, including vanilla, falling in the Schedule of the Spices Board Act, 1986. No specific allocation of funds is made for export promotion of any spice in particular.
(c): In order to help the vanilla growers, Spices Board has been providing assistance to vanilla growers for supply of quality planting material of vanilla and for setting up of vanilla curing units. The expenditure incurred on these activities in the year 2004-05 was Rs. 42.46 lakh.