3-day fruit expo begins in Ladwa

The 7th three-day fruit expo commenced at the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for Sub-Tropical Fruit in Ladwa on Friday. At the event, Arjun Singh Saini, HoD (special), Horticulture Department, said the department had been helping farmers increase their income by adopting new technology. He added that the government had plans to establish three new centres of excellence — for litchi at Naraingarh (Ambala), strawberry at Radaur (Yamunanagar), and for date palm in Hisar.

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After inaugurating the expo, Saini said, “At present, there are 14 centres running in the state — including the sub-tropical fruit centre in Ladwa. With three new centres, the figure will increase to 17. At present, an apple market has been started in Pinjore, and the work of the second phase is underway. Apart from this, a fruit, flower and vegetable market is being constructed on 550 acres in Ganaur.”

Saini, along with Maharana Pratap Horticulture University VC SK Malhotra, Ladwa Fruit Centre Deputy Director Rakesh Kumar and District Horticulture Officer Shivendu, visited the mango exhibition as well as various stalls, and inspected the fruit nursery and the orchard at the centre.

Saini said, in the last 10 years, the area under horticulture in the state had grown four times, and the government had increased the budget in this regard to Rs 1,068 crores.

Under the Mera Pani, Meri Virasat scheme, the government was providing an incentive of Rs 8,000 per acre to farmers for adopting vegetables or gardening instead of growing paddy crop, he added, exhorting farmers to grow flowers, vegetables, and adopt dairy and fish farming to increase their incomes. Farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab are participating in the event. Various competitions were organised on the first day of the programme.