The State government on Wednesday signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with eight private agricultural firms for procuring farm produce from Ramthal drip-irrigation project area in Bagalkot district and adding value to them.
Under the Drip-to-Market Agro Corridor (DMAC) — an initiative to connect drip irrigated areas with market linkages, developed by the State government in partnership with 2030 Water Resources Group (2030WRG) — eight private firm signed MoUs with Water Resources, Agriculture, and Horticulture departments.
In July 2017, six MoUs were signed with private firms.
Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. and Israel-based Netafim India executed the project in three years from 2014. The project would be officially launched in January or February, said Anjum Parwez, managing director, Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd. The Ramthal drip-irrigation project is one of the world’s largest micro-irrigation projects covering 24,000 hectares in over 100 villages and benefiting 15,000 farmers. The State government invested ₹783 crore in the project for doubling farmers’ income by saving water through drip irrigation. The project area draws water from the Almatti dam.
Mr. Parwez said, “The project will ensure assured water supply. This coupled with efficient water use will not only support farmers to move towards higher value crops, but also mitigate supply chain risks for agribusiness companies.”
Bastiaan Mohrmann, co-lead, Asia and Middle East, 2030WRG, emphasised the unique collaborative approach of the project and said the government and private sector companies would work towards sustaining the area as a world-class horticultural and agricultural centre of international repute.
Maheshwar Rao, Secretary, departments of Agriculture and Horticulture, said, “Market linkages for agriculture-based projects ensure that the farmer has adequate avenues to sell agricultural produce, and serve as an important part of the agriculture extension process.”
Portal soon
The government will soon launch a website ‘Namma Drip’ for providing information regarding crops, number of farmers, prices, innovations, companies, subsidies, etc. for the benefit of farmers and other stakeholders in the Ramthal drip irrigation project.
