HYDERABAD: Great news for the mango growers of the Palamuru region as the National Horticulture Board (NHB) has selected five districts of erstwhile Mahbubnagar for its ‘Cluster Development Programme (CDP).’ The NHB, which aims to increase export of fruits by 25 per cent, has selected 11 States and 12 districts across the country under the programme.
“The objective is to reduce post-harvest losses and the convergence of government schemes to enrich stakeholders in the global supply-chain through introduction of innovative technology,” said a senior official from the Telangana State Horticulture Development Corporation Limited (TSHDC), which is the ‘cluster development agency’ proposed by the State government to the Centre.
Pre-production, post-production, value-addition, packing, value-chain, logistics, branding and marketing would be streamlined as part of CDP. Out of the Rs 3,300 crore earmarked for its implementation across the country, `100 crore would be spent in the Mahbubnagar cluster, which is a mega cluster.