BANGALORE: Stating that the two-day Global Agri-business and Food Processing Summit 2011, scheduled to begin on December 1, aims to attract investments from private sectors for the growth of the state and for the benefit of farmers, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said that MoUs worth over Rs 51,700 crore were expected to be signed during the first-ever agri-business summit in the country.Addressing newsmen here on Friday, the CM, who sought to dispel the notion that the event is being held against the interests of the farming community, categorically said that the focus of the summit was to enhance revenue to farmers, fishermen in rural communities. He said that investments would come to the much needed area of agri-infrastructure, backward and forward marked linkages.Informing that the government may have to make available about 18,000 hectares of land to accommodate the first phase investment of Rs 51,700 crore in the agri-sector, he, said that no land would be acquired forcibly.“We have have possession of about 4,000 hectares and the remaining would be met with the use of revenue and waste farm lands,” he said.“Fertile lands will not be disturbed for the proposed projects,” he said. Stating that the summit has been organised to promote judicious blending of technologies for pre- and post-harvesting, the CM said that it is being conducted for the benefit of the state and to protect the farmers interests.“The very purpose of the meet was to attract more investment in agriculture by creating favourable environment to undertake agri-business activities to achieve comprehensive development in the farm sector,” he said.
Comments
0 comment