Himachal nut growers seek policy support

Climate-resilient and disease-tolerant rootstocks, high-quality cultivars, schemes for rejuvenation and replantation of old and senile orchards and technical training for farmers were among the key demands raised by fruit growers to promote the cultivation of almond, walnut and pine nuts in Himachal.

The growers also apprised a high-level committee constituted by the Secretary, Agriculture, Government of India, of the challenges they face in nut fruit cultivation in the state during a national webinar held at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, on Friday.

The webinar was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, on the theme “High Density Cultivation of Walnut, Almond and Pine Nut: Towards Self-Reliance and Global Brand Leadership by 2030” under the Union Budget 2026-27 provisions.

During the consultation, four progressive farmers from Himachal participated physically, while nearly 200 officers of the Department of Horticulture, including Secretary (Horticulture) C Paulrasu and Director (Horticulture) Satish Kumar Sharma, along with farmers from the state, joined the deliberations online.

During the discussion, Paulrasu emphasised the importance of pine nut (Chilgoza) and highlighted the need for its conservation and promotion. “Chilgoza is an important species in the Himalayan region. However, its forests are currently facing degeneration and poor natural regeneration,” he said.

He suggested that Chilgoza should be brought under horticulture development initiatives with special policy interventions.