The survey of over 100 acres of land near Tyavarekoppa on the outskirts of the city for setting up a Maize Park by the Department of Agriculture Marketing, through Shivamogga Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), has begun.
The Shivamogga APMC has planned to establish a maize park on a 100-acre plot near Tyavarekoppa village. The department had requested the Deputy Commissioner to survey the land and allot it to the APMC for the purpose.
Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner had written to the Shivamogga tahsildar and the Department of Land Records and Survey in July 2013 to initiate appropriate action in this regard.
Rajgopal, tahsildar of Shivamogga, told The Hindu that the survey work was likely to be completed by second week of February.
The area under the cultivation of maize has been increasing rapidly pace in Shivamogga district. At present, maize is cultivated in about 65,000 hectares of land in the district. The flow of maize into the market will be high between October and February every year, when the traders at the Shivamogga APMC are finding it difficult to store and process the produce.
Considering the problems faced by them, it was decided to create the necessary infrastructure for processing, packing, storage and transportation of maize on the outskirts of the city. The proposed maize park will have warehouses, modern drier units, a quality control laboratory and facilities for separating the corns from the cob. The project has been estimated to cost Rs. 40 crore.
C. Pathalingappa, secretary of the Shivamogga APMC, told The Hindu that after the completion of the survey work, the department would start the process of acquiring the land for the project. As there was immense potential for setting food processing units in the district, the department was thinking of accommodating private firms engaged in processing and value-addition activities of maize in the proposed maize park, he said.
At present, maize is cultivated in about 65,000 hectares of land in Shivamogga district
APMC traders facing difficulties in stocking huge arrivals between October and February
