Centre clears Rs 500-cr horticulture package

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 27

The Centre today approved Rs 500 crore for restoration of damaged horticulture areas and its development in Jammu and Kashmir. This comes as a part of the Prime Minister’s special package, including one-time relaxation of cost norms to implement the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, okayed the special package that includes import of special varieties of plants for better survival, early flowering and enhanced fruiting apple planting material and four wire trellis system. This will result in increase of productivity by three-four times.

It will benefit about 21,000 orchardists located in more than 491 villages where horticulture areas of more than 5,200 hectares were severely damaged by floods/landslides in September, 2014, an official release said.

It would help in setting up of 329 hectares of new apple orchards and restoration of 3,900 hectares of damaged orchards over a period of three years with an overall amount of Rs 500 crore with Rs 450 crore as the Central share.

The release said high and medium density apple plantations would generate round-the-year employment for 3,300 and 18,000-20,000 people, respectively. These initiatives will also result in employment in allied sectors such as grading/packing units, CA/cold storage units and transportation sector etc.

As the high density plantation involves technology and regular upkeep of orchards, therefore, it will also result in wage enhancement in the horticulture sector due to the increase in the farmer’s income as a result of the increased productivity.

Providing details, the release said the import of planting material at the maximum rate of Rs 460 per plant for 329 hectares of new apple orchards and restoration of 3,900 hectares of old damaged apple orchards had been okayed. Ninety per cent of the cost shall be borne by the government and 10 per cent by the beneficiary farmer.

Import of four wire trellis systems at the rate of Rs 9.8 lakh per hectares for 329 hectares of new apple orchards has also been approved. The rate of financial assistance of 50 per cent shall be borne by the government and rest by the beneficiary farmer.