The government on Wednesday approved Rs 35,000 crore for PM Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) with an aim to provide remunerative price to farmers as well as stabilisation of market price for consumers. The decision was taken at the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Giving details, the minister said the scheme is aimed at protecting farmers from distress sale during peak harvesting time. It will promote self-sufficiency in the production of pulses, oilseeds and other essential agri-horticulture commodities, increase farmers income and protect consumers' interest.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the Clean Plant Programme (CPP) with an outlay of Rs 1,766 crore to revolutionize India's horticulture sector. The programme, proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, aims to enhance the quality and productivity of fruit crops across the nation. It was earlier announced in the Budget speech by finance minister in February 2023. Briefing the media after the meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the CPP will address virus infections in horticultural crops, affecting both productivity and quality. Key components of the programme include: establishment of nine world-class Clean Plant Centres (CPCs) across India, equipped with advanced diagnostic therapeutics and tissue culture labs; and implementation of a robust certification system under the Seeds Act 1966. It also includes infrastructure support to large-scale nurseries for efficient multiplication of clean planting ...
Urban India's expenditure on fruits between 2009-10 and 2022-23 was fairly stagnant at 2.5 per cent
A teenager in Rajasthan's Kota has built an all-purpose robot to help farmers assess soil and crop health, their water needs, and detect pests. Aryan Singh, 17, built the AgRobot at his school's Atal Tinkering Lab, a central government initiative to help school children hone their building skills. The son of a farmer, Aryan spent four years building the robot which won him the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar under science and technology category. Aryan was the only boy from Rajasthan among nine boys and ten girls from 18 states and Union Territories who won awards. He got the award from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on January 22 this year. "I belong to a farming family, grew up watching my grandparents and parents working in the field. While studying in class 10, I conceived the idea of developing a multi-task device and later developed a prototype that can reduce farmers' labour in the field," Aryan told PTI. The boy sent his proposal to NITI Ayog's Atal Innovatio
The country is estimated to have harvested 355.35 million tonnes of horticulture crops in the 2022-23 crop year, about 8.07 million tonnes more than the previous year, as per agriculture ministry data released on Thursday. The ministry has come out with the third production estimate after the harvesting of the 2022-23 horticulture crops. Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said despite challenges surrounding climate change, horticulture production has gone up, thanks to efforts of farmers and agri-scientists. As per the third estimate released by the ministry, total production of horticulture crops has increased 2.32 per cent (8.07 million tonne) to 355.25 million tonnes in the 2022-23 crop year -- July-June -- from 347.18 million tonnes in the previous year. Of the total horticulture production, fruits production rose to 109.53 million tonne in 2022-23 from 107.51 million tonne in the previous year. Vegetable production, too, increased to 213.88 million tonnes in 2022-23 from 209.14
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation of multiple development projects in Uttarakhand worth nearly Rs 4,200 crore. The projects, numbering 23 in total, will give impetus to infrastructure, education, health, electricity, drinking water, sports, tourism, disaster mitigation and horticulture sectors in the hill state. The projects whose foundation stones were laid by the prime minister at an event in Pithoragarh included 21,398 poly-houses, cultivation of high density intensive apple orchards, five works of double-laning of roads and slope treatment of national highways and the construction of 32 bridges in the state. These also included strengthening of disaster management mechanism, expansion of education, health and sports facilities and development of temples in the Manaskhand area on the lines of Chardham. The projects inaugurated by Modi included various infrastructure development projects and those aimed at increasing availability of ...
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Himanshu Pathak on Monday said the organisation will focus more on research in livestock, fisheries and horticulture to boost growth in these three sectors. ICAR would continue to develop climate-resilient seed varieties to ensure crop production does not get affected due to climate change, he said, adding that emphasis would also be laid on the use of digital tools in farming, as well as post-harvest management of agriculture and horticulture crops. Pathak said the research institute will invite private players to do joint research. On Sunday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar asked ICAR's farm scientists to focus more on research in animal husbandry and fisheries to boost production and their contribution to the overall farm sector growth. The minister was speaking virtually on the 95th foundation day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). "Our research work is not limited to crops only
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the construction of the India International Horticulture Market to be set up with an outlay of Rs 2,600 crore in Sonipat district
Horticulture sector is being considered as a driver of economic growth and is gradually turning into an organised industry linked to seed trading, value addition and exports, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday. Inaugurating virtually a four-day National Horticulture Fair being held in Bengaluru, Tomar said horticulture plays an important role in doubling the income of farmers and providing essential nutritional security. "Rapid increase in production and availability of horticulture crops will help in bridging the gap between nutritional security of the country," Tomar said. According to an official statement, he said the country's horticulture production has increased 13 times from 25 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 331 million tonnes during 2020-21, which is more than foodgrain production. "The sector is being considered as a driver of economic growth and is gradually turning into an organised industry linked to seed trading, value addition and exports," he
Coffee cultivation in Bastar, which started in 2017 on an experimental basis in 20 acres by the horticulture department, has reached the farmers' fields
The Appellate Authority for Advance Rulings (AAAR) has ruled that cultivation of mangroves is different from agriculture and hence would not be exempted from the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
The Joint Kisan Manch of various organisations of farmers and horticulturists has urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to take necessary steps to provide relief to the farmers in view of the rising cost of inputs and abolish GST on cartons and materials for packing. The organisation wrote a letter to the CM in view of the rising cost of inputs, levying of GST and increasing interference of corporate houses and companies, procuring the produce at very low prices. The members of the manch urged the government to come out with some concrete policy for farmers and horticulturists while also demanding the abolition of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on cartons and materials used for the packing of apples, fruits, vegetables and flowers. The Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd. (HPMC) and Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing And Consumer's Federation Ltd. (HIMFED) be asked to release outstanding payments of more than Rs 90 crore for
Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Friday stressed the need for preparing a roadmap for the development of agriculture and horticulture in the state through effective policy implementation. Mein, who during the day visited a mega food park and an integrated farm coming up at Dolikoto in Papumpare district, urged the officials for fast-track single window clearance to facilitate the establishment of food processing units and agro-based industries in the state. The food park is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of doubling farmers' income and strengthening the economy under vocal for local'. It will also generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for the youth of the region. As of now, the integrated farm, situated 29 km from the state capital, employs more than 300 skilled and unskilled unemployed youth, an official communiqu said. We have initiated many subsidised schemes like Atma Nirbhar Krishi Yojana, Atma Nirbhar Bagwani Yojana,
The production of overall vegetables is projected to be higher at 204.84 million tonnes as against 200.45 million tonnes in the said period
Pushing ahead on the agenda to take Indo-Israel cooperation in the field of agriculture to the "next level", a third major delegation of 19 agricultural officers drawn from seven different states in India have concluded a two weeks training programme on horticulture management. The programme "Horticulture Management: The Israeli Value Chain" was organised by Mashav Agricultural Training Centre (MATC) in Shefayim and the course focussed on the possibility of replicating the "Israeli value chain". MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation working with the Foreign Ministry, looks at providing developing countries with the best of Israel's experience in development and planning and has served as an important arm of the ministry's diplomatic outreach programme. The delegation visited several Israeli nurseries to explore the potential to import the planting materials of Israeli varieties suitable for India in the field of horticulture. Field visits to various ...
Horticulture has emerged as a viable livelihood option for farmers who treated it at par with farming
This is because cold storage capacity has barely kept pace with the requirement, according to the report.
Constraints in the sector must be addressed
The data shows that over the past 10 years, not only horticulture but the production of eggs, meat, milk and also fruits and vegetables have been faster than conventional foodgrain
Retail food inflation rate fell to 1.89 per cent in January from 3.41 per cent in December