Fruit growers to be paid support price balance: Dhumal

Shimla, Mar 4 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said the fruit growers of the state would be paid their balance due of the support price for procurement of the fruits under the Market Intervention Scheme.

This assurance was given by the Chief Minister to the deputation of the Fruit Growers Association here.

"The government is committed to protect the interests of the fruit growers and give boost to the horticulture activities in the state," he said, adding that "Quality produce is being marketed to different markets within and outside the state." "Himachal Pradesh is the only state in the country, which is providing support price on the perishable commodities to the growers and recently the support price of the citrus fruit has also been enhanced to bring the same at par with the apple growers," he said.

Mr Dhumal said that diversified horticultural activities had vast scope of self-employment to the rural youth and the growers needed to be educated to adopt multi-crop system in their orchards so that they could gain by generating additional revenue through such activities.

"The off-season vegetables cultivation is gaining momentum fetching remunerative prices to the growers," he said, adding that the agro climatic conditions of the state cater to the off-season vegetable cultivation like nowhere else.

"Efforts are afoot to stop exploitation of the growers at the hands of middlemen by strengthening the marketing yard system at the sub-division level." The Chief Minister appealed to the people to take benefit of the National Horticulture Technology Mission under implementation in the state to create basic and quality infrastructure for horticultural related activities.

He directed the horticulture department to organise awareness campaign about the scheme in the villages so that maximum people could avail the benefits.

UNI XC PS MMS2006