Haryana To Focus On Fruit Cultivation

As part of diversification of crop patterns, the Haryana government has decided to focus on increasing the production of fruits in the state.

According to Jagbir Singh, the state horticulture minister, the area under fruit cultivation in Haryana will increase to 23,675 hectare this year. The state is also expecting to produce 82,000 tonne of fruit this year.

The state government is providing 100 per cent financial assistance to the small and marginal farmers in the form of distribution of free fruit plants and other inputs with a view to increase fruit production in the state.

According to the minister, the horticulture department is playing a significant role in supplementing the income of farmers, besides improving their nutritional status and environmental conditions.

 

During the current financial year, an additional area of 1570 hectare has been brought under fruit cultivation in the state. The horticulture department is promoting the farming of fruits like mango, lichi, guava, ber, chiku, amla and citrus.

The state government is also trying to encourage the cultivation of vegetables on a large scale in the state.

According to the minister, the horticulture department has distributed quality vegetable seeds and hybrid seeds in the form of minikits at a nominal price of Rs 10 per kit during this financial year. More than 3,000 minikits have already been distributed among farmers.

The government has distributed 9,000 minikits of fennel, fenugreek and coriander at 50 per cent cost with the objective of promoting the cultivation of spices in the state.

The horticulture department has also set up 2500 demonstration plots to boost spice cultivation in Haryana.

The department has also set up 500 separate demonstration plots of chillies, 192 plots of ginger and 65 plots of turmeric in order to encourage cultivation of these crops as a part of the diversification strategy.

The state government is also providing technical and financial assistance to spice growers.