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Kerala gets Rs 1 billion to promote exports
Monday, 02 December 2002, 20:30 IST
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has been assured 
1 billion from the centre for the creation of infrastructure to boost exports.
The money would be given in instalments, the first of which has already been released, state Industries Minister P.K. Kunjalikutty told reporters here Monday.
He said the money would come as a grant and already the state government has chalked out elaborate plans to see that the first instalment of 170 million is sensibly spent.
Kerala closed the last financial year with 70.38 billion worth of exports, including 9.65 billion of cashew, 9.51 billion of seafood, 5.6 billion of spices, 8.42 billion of coffee, 3.94 billion of tea and 3.21 billion of coir.
"We have received project reports from the Cashew Corporation for setting up a state-of-the-art laboratory for quality control to be established at Kollam and we have decided to set apart 10 million from the first instalment for this laboratory," the minister said.
"We are going to invest in an electronic weigh bridge at Cochin Port, a laboratory for seafood processing at Kochi, upgradation of the existing air cargo complex at Thiruvananthapuram international airport, a drinking water facility at the upcoming industrial park at Malappurram and an Indian Institute of Export Management in Kochi."
Industries secretary Ajay Ghosh said in the April-September period of the current financial year, the export figure showed an impressive 10 percent growth compared to the same period in the previous year.
He said cashew exports touched 6.81 billion, seafood 8.23 billion, spices 1.46 billion and coir 1.78 billion.
The central assistance is based on export performance of states and Kerala, which has three percent of the country's population, has an overall export share of 3.5 percent.
Kunjalikutty said the state government would work to enhance food-processing exports.
"We have several projects in this sector and we are confident that there would be takers during the forthcoming Global Investors' Meet (at Kochi in January). A special export processing zone is coming up on land provided by the Cochin Port Trust and we are also working out a master plan that would be placed before the investors," he said.
Source: IANS
1 billion from the centre for the creation of infrastructure to boost exports.
The money would be given in instalments, the first of which has already been released, state Industries Minister P.K. Kunjalikutty told reporters here Monday.
He said the money would come as a grant and already the state government has chalked out elaborate plans to see that the first instalment of 170 million is sensibly spent.
Kerala closed the last financial year with 70.38 billion worth of exports, including 9.65 billion of cashew, 9.51 billion of seafood, 5.6 billion of spices, 8.42 billion of coffee, 3.94 billion of tea and 3.21 billion of coir.
"We have received project reports from the Cashew Corporation for setting up a state-of-the-art laboratory for quality control to be established at Kollam and we have decided to set apart 10 million from the first instalment for this laboratory," the minister said.
"We are going to invest in an electronic weigh bridge at Cochin Port, a laboratory for seafood processing at Kochi, upgradation of the existing air cargo complex at Thiruvananthapuram international airport, a drinking water facility at the upcoming industrial park at Malappurram and an Indian Institute of Export Management in Kochi."
Industries secretary Ajay Ghosh said in the April-September period of the current financial year, the export figure showed an impressive 10 percent growth compared to the same period in the previous year.
He said cashew exports touched 6.81 billion, seafood 8.23 billion, spices 1.46 billion and coir 1.78 billion.
The central assistance is based on export performance of states and Kerala, which has three percent of the country's population, has an overall export share of 3.5 percent.
Kunjalikutty said the state government would work to enhance food-processing exports.
"We have several projects in this sector and we are confident that there would be takers during the forthcoming Global Investors' Meet (at Kochi in January). A special export processing zone is coming up on land provided by the Cochin Port Trust and we are also working out a master plan that would be placed before the investors," he said.
Source: IANS