Center adds four new components to surge horticulture yields

New Delhi: The Central Government has decided to add four new components—hydroponics, aquaponics, vertical farming, and precision agriculture—to broaden the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), aiming to support modern, sustainable methods in horticulture to increase the yield of fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers, and more across the nation. MIDH is a centrally sponsored scheme and has an annual budget of Rs 2,000 crore for 2024–25.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare have been working on the MIDH guidelines and cost norms, and the updates are expected to be available within a month. Sources report that the new guidelines could include a 20% increase in funding rates compared to those last set in 2014. This revision addresses long-standing concerns from various states, which have highlighted the need for updated support rates. For instance, Odisha’s Agriculture Minister recently pointed out that existing rates are over a decade old.

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The revision aligns with the Union Cabinet’s recent decision to streamline central schemes into two main programs: Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) and Krishonnati Yojana. The Ministry has secured initial approval, and the final guidelines will be notified soon.

India’s horticulture sector has made significant growth from 240.53 million metric tonnes in 2010-11 to 334.60 million metric tonnes in 2020-21, surpassing food grain production. Currently, India occupies second place in the world as far as the production of fruits and vegetables is concerned.