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To promote export of fruits, vegetables, flowers, minor forest produce and their value-added products a new scheme namely, Vishesh Krishi Upaj Yojana has been announced in the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09. Exporters of such products shall be entitled for duty credit scrip equivalent to 5% of the FOB value of exports for each licensing year commencing from 1st April, 2004. The duty credit and the items imported against it shall be freely transferable. The duty credit under the Scheme may be used for import of inputs or goods including Capital Goods as may be specified, provided the same is freely importable under ITC (HS).
In addition, under the Advance Licence scheme duty-free import of agricultural inputs required for export production are allowed with an obligation to export agricultural products. Similarly, duty benefits are available under the Duty Remission schemes namely, Duty Free Replenishment Certificate and the Duty Entitlement Pass Book Scheme for export of agricultural products. The benefits available under the Advance Licence/Duty Remission schemes is based on the input-output norms and the incidence of Customs duty on the import content of the export product and is different for different export products. Import of capital goods is also allowed at a concessional 5% Customs duty under the EPCG scheme subject to an export obligation equivalent to 8 times the duty saved on such imported capital goods over a period of 8 years.
The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Macro Management in Agriculture Supplementation/Complementation of State efforts through Work Plans under which, among other things, the farmers are being given assistance for taking up cultivation of horticulture crops including floriculture. This scheme is being implemented in all states and UTs in the country. Total assistance provided to states/UTs under the Macro Management scheme was Rs.63122.10 lakhs, Rs.58600.76 lakhs and Rs.62664.56 lakhs in FY 2001-02 , 2002-03, 2003-04 respectively. The allocation (central share) under the scheme during the FY 2004-05 is Rs.69500 lakhs.
This was stated by Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, in reply to a question at Rajya Sabha today.
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