Asian Bank to assist Himachal in agri-business

Shimla, July 16 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Minister, Singhi Ram has said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) would assist State in Agri-business development.

All activities of the horticulture sector had been included in the priority sector and''specialised category of activities'' in the New Industrial Policy of the state, for which separate package of incentives was available, including the assistance by ADB, he said while addressing the 77th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research Society at New Delhi today.

Mr Singhi Ram said the state had achieved highest fruit production of 6.96 lakh MT during the year 2005-06, including a record apple production of 5.40 lakh MT. As many as 2.42 crore apple boxes were sent outside the state in the last fiscal year as against 2.37 crores boxes during 2004-05.

He said horticulture was an important sector and was contributing a lot in improving the economic condition of the farmers.

He said Rs 80 crore Horticulture Technology Mission was under implementation.

The Minister said improved varieties of sub-tropical fruit plants like Aonla, Ber,Kathal, Pomegranate, Karonda and Mango had been introduced in the state with a view to diversify horticulture in sub tropical areas. Besides fruits, the state also produced about 4,700 MT of mushroom, 1,247 MT of honey, 42 MT of hops and floriculture products worth Rs 8 crore every year, he added.

He said the horticultural industry of the state was presently contributing about Rs 1,500 crores per annum to the GDP of the state.

Mr Singhi Ram said Hiamchal was well known as the ''Apple State of India '' and was on its way to become ''Horticulture State of India''.

Himachal had also emerged as a model hill state for the development of dorticulture, and as such other hill states in the country were adopting its model of development, he added.

The Minister said the Horticulture department had been importing the improved varieties of apple and other temperate fruits for the last 6-7 years in an effort to improve the germplasm collection as well as the productivity.

He said recently the department had imported 19,743 plants of apple cultivars from the US for further distribution amongst the farmers of the tribal areas.

He suggested that ICAR scientists should frequently interact with HP horticultural experts and farmers to share know how as research work was very important for getting improved yields.

UNI XC HS VJ VC1915