Centre selects 7 states to set up vegetable clusters

The Centre has chosen seven states to set up clusters to improve supplies of vegetables that were a prime driver of food inflation,official sources said on Monday.

The clusters will come up in Haryana,Gujarat,Maharashtra,Chhattisgarh,Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh and Bihar to cater for demand in urban centres,worst affected by price rise in times of a supply crunch. The clusters will be set up under the National Vegetable Initiative,a part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana,and will focus on vegetable production,marketing and retail.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had announced setting up of vegetable clusters while presenting the Budget 2011-12 with an an outlay of R300 crore to cater.

The agriculture ministry had mooted the scheme more than a year ago when prices of key vegetables picked up even during the winter.