DAVANAGERE: Exuding confidence about the benefits of the Global Agri-business meet-2011, slated to begin today in Bangalore, to the farming community, Minister for Horticulture and Sugar S A Ravindranath said that it will enable good prices, marketing and cold storage facilities for farm produce round the year. In an exclusive interview with Express, the minister averred that the participation of foreign agricultural experts would result in dissemination of knowledge and expertise to the farming community in the state.He pointed out that scope exists for the setting up of horticulture-based industries through foreign investment such as juice and jam manufacturing units, in addition to those utilising maize, wheat and coconut. “Cold storage units can be set up at the taluk and district levels to store perishable produce. Quality maize is cultivated in Davanagere and Shimoga districts on a large scale; with the help of the summit, units making use of such products can be set up which will offer a good price to farmers,” he said.“Fruits grown in different in the state can be exported, and the state will earning valuable foreign exchange.”Assuring that farmers will not be forced to part with their land, he said they will explain to them that this is for their own interest. “Farmers, out of their volition, have come forward to provide us land for the MNCs to help their interests in return,” Ravindranath narrated.Ravindranath expressed regret at the incidents of sudden crash in the prices of farm produce, which led growers to dump them in the roads. He said that such incidents will become passe once foreign investors make an entry into Karnataka.
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