Cooch Behar’s District Horticulture Office has opened applications for support to grow ginger and turmeric and install small solar dryers for spice processing. The district notice, dated November 3, sets a December 31, 2026 deadline.
Under the district allocation, cultivation support covers 10 hectares. Assistance is 40% of the approved project cost, capped at ₹40,000 per hectare. Ten solar-dryer units are also available, with assistance limited to 50% of project cost or ₹70,000 per unit, whichever is lower. Dryers must handle at least 40 kg per batch.
Individual farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs, self-help groups and farmer-producer organisations or companies operating in the district may apply, subject to land, banking and other eligibility requirements.
Applicants should collect and submit the prescribed forms through the district horticulture office or the designated sub-divisional offices at Mathabhanga and Mekhliganj. The notice specifies first-come-first-served processing, but an application does not guarantee support: eligibility checks, field verification and approval remain necessary.
This is a new district application invitation under an existing state scheme, rather than a newly launched statewide programme.
Archive illustration: ginger rhizomes photographed in Nigeria in March 2025, not produce from the Cooch Behar scheme. Photo: Judethedeus / Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Resized; display may be cropped.
