From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Sep 11: Almost 75,000 or exactly 74,969 out of Karnataka’s over 78,000 coffee growers have been benefitted by the Rs 241 crore debt relief package package announced by the Centre, according to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma.

Addressing a news conference after holding an interactive meeting with debt relief beneficiaries and stakeholders, Sharma said the Congress-led UPA regime had come out in a big way to help the State’s coffee growers of the three districts of Chikmaglur, Kodagu and Hassan.

While majority of the 95 % beneficiaries were small and medium growers who were granted the benefit of the debt relief package,  the 5 % of the big growers were provided with the benefit of rescheduling of loans.

Stating that coffee plantations were spread over four lakh hectares in the country, the minister said India’s share in the global production was barely six per cent.

“The Government has taken note of problems faced by growers in the sector,” he said pointing out that coffee output was expected to be good this year.

The coffee production was expected to cross three lakh tonnes against 2.89 lakh tonnes in 2009-10.

Compared to leading coffee-growing countries like Brazil and Vietnam, which enjoyed climatic and other natural advantages, Sharma said India’s share in the world coffee market was marginal.

However, he said asked the Coffee Board to step up its activities and provide support to growers in planting new saplings and mechanisation of curing.

“There is a need to bring a long-term view to hike production and introduction of best technology to market the yield in other countries,” he said.
Referring to coffee exporters, Sharma said creating an enabling environment, lowering transaction costs and upgrading port infrastructure were essential for  export promotion strategy.

Representatives of United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI), small growers association and exporters’ association attended the meeting and demanded effective implementation of the package for the benefit of all types of growers.

Sharma said implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) for providing 100 days employment in a year for jobless youth had not affected the supply of labour to the coffee plantations.
 
"Ohio’s move to ban outsourcing harmful to India”
 
The Union Commerce and Industry Minister expressed concern over the moves by Ohio in the US to ban out sourcing of IT services outside the US.

"Policy makers (of US and other Western countries) must take a global view in the era of globalization,” he said pointing out that nearly 95 per cent jobs in the BPO sector in Europe and UK have been captured by the locals there.

“A large number of locals in Europe were getting jobs in the BPO sector,” he said and contended that skilled and IT professionals in the developing countries were contributing to the growth of the advanced economies.

Sharma, who would be visiting the US later this month, said he would take up the issue with US administration about the Ohio’s threat to ban outsourcing IT services outside the US.

“I hope they will reflect to our concerns and find a meaningful solution,” he said and wanted the policy-makers in US and other Western countries must never forget the contributions of the Indian IT industry to the global economy.

Sharma said issues regarding outsourcing have been under discussion since the economic slowdown globally.

The National Association of Software and Service Companies have already termed the US move as discriminatory and held that such moves were against the policy of open markets and free trade.