7 Himachal districts to get $130mn ADB loan

New Delhi, June 12

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The Central Government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed an agreement for a $130 million loan (about Rs 1,000 crore) to increase agricultural productivity, improve access to irrigation and promote horticulture agribusinesses to raise farmers’ income in Himachal Pradesh, stated an official press note issued hear today.

“The project builds upon a pilot financed by ADB’s project readiness facility, which demonstrated subtropical horticulture production over 200 hectares and prepared the draft water user association (WUA) Act and the draft state horticulture development strategy,” said Konishi. It would help increase the income and resilience to the effects of climate change of at least 15,000 farm households in seven districts Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, Solan and Una. These households have stopped farming or have reduced their farming areas because of a lack of irrigation facilities and crop damage by wild and stray animals.

The project would also modernise public and private subtropical horticulture nursery facilities for improved plant health, and boost beneficiary farmers’ access to information and communication technologies, and other digital agri-technology systems for real-time farm advisories and better CHPMA management.