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Our Bureau

Pune , Aug. 11

AT a project cost of Rs 16 crore, the Government of Maharashtra, through the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), Pune, and the National Institute of Post Harvest Technology (NIPHT), has set up a training institute in protected cultivation technology at Talegaon, near Pune.

Mr Harshvardhan Patil, Minister of Marketing and Employment Guarantee Scheme of Maharashtra, told presspersons that the institute is spread over a 50-acre land which houses infrastructure such as a training hall, a library and eight modern polyhouses, of which four are imported.

The training institute is the only second of its kind after the one in the People's Republic of China in Asia. The training programmes began from October 2003. About 1,015 participants from various States have already completed the programmes, he said.

Mr Patil said the training institute would meet international standards and, has been set up with technical know-how from the Practical Training Center of Holland, which is one of the leading training institutes in Europe today.

The Government of Netherlands has extended financial support to the tune of Rs 4 crore for the institute, he said.

Mr Patil said the university has proposed to the Government of Maharashtra to make it a deemed university. However, since this will take some time, the institute will go ahead with its diploma, degree, postgraduate and doctoral courses in agricultural marketing.

Mr Patil said there is a tremendous growth in the field of polyhouse cultivation - mainly of flowers, fruits and vegetables in and around Maharashtra.

Considering the potential for commercial protected cultivation technology in the country, there is a need for state-of-the-art training and education facility in the country, he said.

MSAMB, Pune, is established as per the provision of Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act of 1963. The board is entrusted with activities such as planning development of market committees, advising on improvements in their functioning and project consultancy.

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