The decision that the lemon growers of the district have long waited for has finally been announced. The State government is set to establish a Lemon Development Board in Vijayapura district.
The government, which issued a notification on this on February 15, said the board would come up in Indi taluk of the district, which is the State’s highest lemon-growing taluk.
“This is definitely a victory for the lemon farmers of the district, mainly Indi taluk which was looking to the government to come to its rescue ... their demand has now been met,” said Yeshwantraigouda Patil, Congress MLA from Indi taluk.
Mr. Patil, who has been pursuing the matter ever since he was elected as MLA, said it took decades of struggle for previous governments to set up boards such as the Coffee Development Board. “But in case of lemon, the government realised the need without the need for any agitation,” he said.
Lemon is cultivated on over 11,752 hectares in the State, with annual production of 2.74 lakh tonnes. Of this, 58% of the production area is in Vijayapura district, with 50% in Indi taluk alone.
According to sources, the annual export of the citrus fruit has crossed ₹50 crore, with a majority of the lemon being exported to Dubai and other countries in the Gulf.
The modalities
Mr. Patil said the modalities of the board would be finalised soon. He said the board would address various issues that have been haunting lemon farmers, including the middleman menace and market price.
“Lemon has several medicinal properties and is used to prepare byproducts such as pickle, jam, juice, candy, and also in beauty products. The board will not only ensure setting up of processing units, but will also encourage farmers to involve themselves in preparing such products. This would, to a great extent, stop the menace of middlemen,” he said.
