HP aims to become India’s ‘fruit bowl’ with new horticulture policy: Sukhu

Shimla: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday that Himachal Pradesh is going to be the first state in India to frame a horticulture policy, aiming to boost horticultural products and making it the fruit bowl of the country. While reviewing the HP Shiva Project of the horticulture department, the CM said the Rs 1,292-crore project will cover 6,000 hectares of land across seven districts with a thrust on inter-cropping.

In two phases, saplings of guava, citrus fruits, pomegranate, dragon fruit, blueberry, and jackfruit will be planted. The project is likely to provide jobs, both directly and indirectly, to 82,500 people in the state. CM Sukhu instructed the department to include small and marginal farmers in the project for the betterment of their economic conditions. The top priority of the state government is to strengthen the rural economy, and the horticulture sector can play a vital role in improving farmers’ livelihoods.

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He went on to say that 60 lakh fruit saplings will be sown under the project to cover 6,000 hectares by 2028. 4,000 hectares of land will be covered in the first phase and the remaining 2,000 hectares in the second phase. It is expected that by 2032, the project will produce 1.30 lakh metric tonnes of fruit; its total value will be around Rs 230 crore per year.

He stressed the use of modern technology so that farmers can get good prices for their produce, and the horticulture department will have to transmit technical knowledge to them for better yield. The meeting was attended by Horticulture Secretary Priyanka Basu, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, and Horticulture Director Vinay Singh.