By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh Friday said the central government has earmarked Rs.70 billion for schemes to revive tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom and tobacco plantations.
Speaking to reporters here at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Ramesh said re-plantation programme for tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom and tobacco is currently underway.
The minister said the sum would be spent over next 10-15 years for implementing different innovative programmes for the sector.
CDS has been given a one-time grant of Rs.50 million in the latest national budget to be used specifically for research programme on plantation development.
“The research to be undertaken by CDS in coordination with similar prestigious institutions of the country, will provide valuable inputs for policy decision on plantation sector. The central government expects knowledge based inputs from CDS to revive this sector,” said Ramesh.
“CDS will emerge as a centre of excellence in economic research on plantation. The plantation segment is on the revival path and in rubber productivity, India comes first in the world,” said Ramesh.
Also present on the occasion was former professor at CDS, Thomas Isaac, the present state finance minister.