Chhattisgarh’s green field hi-tech capital city’s Sector-5 devoted to global investors being invited to set up projects in the non-core sector even has plots for setting up cold storages-- an essential component to bring up the industrial zone also as a ‘food supply chain hub’ of the State.

Notably, Chief Minister Raman Singh in February this year had stated that a cold storage chain would be created in Chhattisgarh after identifying all the vegetable growing pockets of the State.

He was speaking at the State loan Symposium of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in Raipur.

Singh had called upon the district collectors to prepare a blue print for the far-flung regions of State in the next 24 months so that the farmers who grow vegetables need not protest on the streets for better facilities and remuneration.

He laid stress on better marketing of the farmers products vegetables and fruits so that earn substantial profits. Chief Minister unveiled 'State Focus Paper'  of the NABARD for the year 2017-2018.

The Chief Minister said that State had been making several efforts to increase the income of farmers .

Solar pumps are being installed in remote areas where authorities are unable to provide electricity due to difficult terrain and other geographical reasons, he said.

Fifty-one thousand solar irrigation pumps will be distributed to the farmers under the Solar Sujla Yojana, Singh said.

The 'Backyard' farm project of the Bank is very successful and it should be extended to all parts of the State, he said.

Singh called upon the bank officials to allot loans to small and medium farmers so that they can increase their income.

Notably, the cold chain capacity created by the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries in Chhattisgarh stood at 8500 metric tonnes (MT) till April 2015, officials stated.

In a power point presentation on Prospects of Cold Chain Infrastructure in Eastern Region on April 6, 2015,  the Ministry has spelled out its plans of taking up a total of 500 Integrated Cold Chain projects as per the modified pattern of the Central assistance during the next five years across the country to create capacity of 2.5 million tonnes The core objective of the projects is to make the scheme of cold chain value addition nd preservation infrastructure open ended, it stated.

Incidentally, on August 31, 2016 , Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh had directed officials to draw an action plan for operating a State-level ‘Food Processing Mission’  in the State.

Chairing a meeting of the State Industry Department at the office in his residence in Raipur,  the Chief Minister said that as per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the State would run the  ‘Food Processing Mission’  while using its own resources.

He said that the State government has made a provision of Rs12 crore for launching the State-level ‘Food Processing Mission’.

Singh said that the launching of Mission would help farmers get better prices for their farm produce and also open new job avenues for youth in the Food Processing sector.

Officials attending the meeting said that Food Processing Sector in Chhattisgarh is being seen as a ‘focus sector’ to ensure industrial diversity.

A 'Cluster' pattern had been adopted in developing horticulture with the implementation of new projects in Chhattisgarh, the Government had informed in June last year.

The State can be geographically divided into three zones in view of Horticulture development. Hilly areas (Bastar), flat land on hills (Surguja) and plains (Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur).

A master-plan for the development of horticulture had been prepared by the State Government on the basis of geographical distinction. There is four-times increase in acreage of horticulture and five times increase in the production of fruits, vegetables and flowers in the past thirteen years.

The horticulture crops include fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal and scented plants. The acreage under horticulture is about seven lakh 92 thousand 943 hectares in 2015-2016. Earlier, in the year 2004-2005 the acreage under Horticulture crops had been about 2.55 lakh hectares of land.

Twenty -five villages are located in each Development block and in each village a minimum of 20 acres is identified. Each cluster will have 200 acre land.

Fruit crops are developed in almost all the districts of the State. Mangoes, bananas, papaya, guavas, lime, narangi, kathal, lemons, cashew-nuts, custard apple, litchi, watermelon, amala, cherries, sapotas (Chiku), pomegranate, coconuts and many other fruit-bearing trees are grown on a large-scale in the entire State.

Watermelons grown in Chhattisgarh are very popular all over the world particularly in Middle-East. Watermelon is grown on a wide-scale at Mahanadi Basin-Janjgiri-Champa and Mahasamund districts.

The production of flowers  had increased several times after the formation of the State. 'Gendha' (Marigold), Roses, Rajnigandha ,Guldaudhi, Gladioleus, Chameli (Jasmine) and many other varieties are grown. Marigold plants are grown in the entire State.

Bilaspur and Korba districts are famous for Rose plants. 'Chameli' (Jasmine) is grown on a massive scale in Raipur and Dhamtari districts. Ginger, dhania, chillies , garlic, turmeric, methi and many other spices' plants. Ginger is grown in almost all the districts of the State. Bilaspur district leads in medicinal and scented plants in Chhattisgarh.

Vegetables are grown in all the 27 districts of the State. Cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, tomatoes, ladyfinger, potatoes, green peas, karela, loki, torai, munga, kochai (arwi) carrot, parwal, onion and several other kinds of vegetables. Jashpur, Surguja, Balrampur and Surajpur districts are famous for the potatoes.

The flat land on the hills is suitable for growing potatoes. Tomatoes  are grown in all the 27 districts in the State. 'Yams' (Jimmikhand) is grown on a massive scale -3, 721 metric ton- in Kanker district. Modern amenities are provided to the horticulture sector to preserve and increase production of various plants. Infrastructure had been developed to help the sector.

Adequate irrigation facilities had been developed for horticulture plants. About 5, 700 hand-pumps had been sunk for the purpose.

Drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation had been provided in all the districts. Eighty-two model nurseries had been developed for horticulture crops-vegetables, flowers- to preserve high-quality breed plants.  Thirty nurseries had been upgraded.

The State Government had already drawn up a blue-print to double the income of horticulture farmers by the year 2022.  Minor and medium sector packaging industry are being encouraged by the authorities.

The Chhattisgarh Government has prepared a five-year master plan to provide a fillip to the cultivation of horticulture based crops in the State.

The master plan is for the period 2017-18 to 2021-22, officials informed.

Horticulture is a sunrise sector in the State. The Horticulture crops cover an acreage of 7.41 lakh hectares and production is about 85.95 lakh metric tonnes, officials informed.

The acreage under horticulture crops had increased several times since 2004-05.

According to the master plan, the target is to increase acerage of horticulture crops by about 4.52 lakh hectares. The increase in acerage will cover fruits, vegetables, masala (spices) crops and flowers.

Under the Central Government's Micro-Irrigation Mission Project about 75,000 hectares land had been brought under micro-irrigation in Chhattisgarh. The proposal is to bring in additional 2.34 lakh additional land under the micro-irrigation during the next five years.

An additional investment of Rs 1405 crore  is likely to be incurred on the project.  Farmers will be trained in the processing of horticulture crops.

Additional training centers in production of horticulture crops will be established under the Private Partnership Plan (PPP), officials informed.

There are immense possibilities in growing mangoes, guavas, lemon, Amla, Pomegranate, berries, custard apple, litchi, 'Naspati', Peech, Plumes and the acreage will be increased by  1.37 lakh hectares every year, officials informed.

A Mother Tree Resource Center will be developed at Naya Raipur for the benefit of farmers. A State-level Training Center will be established to introduce farmers to high-grade plants.