Two-day National Horticulture Conference begins

New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) Ministry of Agriculture gives highest priority for ensuring quality planting material to farmers, which is the backbone of agri and horticultural development in the country.

Inaugurating the National Horticulture Conference here today, Agricutlure Secretary Radha Singh said the annual outlay for the horticulture sector increased from Rs 291 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 1,951 crore during 2006-07, marking an increase of 570 per cent.

Underlining the need of giving proper attention by state governments to increase horticultural production, Ms Singh pointed out that low productivity in horticulture was mainly due to the use of low yielding varieties of seeds and poor planting technology.

The farmers in the country are eager to diversify their crops for which horticulture provides ample avenues. The horticulture production has reached a level of 172 million tonnes in 2005-06, an increase of about 18 per cent since 2001-02, but the average productivity still continues to be below 10 tonnes per hectare, she said.

Reviewing the performance of the various State Horticultural Missions (SHM), Ms Singh said the National Bee Board (NBB) has also been associated for promoting development of bee keeping which would act as a medium for pollination besides providing honey as the main product.

The Government has released for SHM Rs 630 crore during 2005-06 and Rs 560.20 crore in 2006-07 (out of an allocation of Rs 1,000 crore) for development of horticulture covering planting material to marketing. At the national level nine agencies have been involved to supplement the activities of SHM.

Expressing concern over the inadequate post-harvest management in horticultural production and consumption chain, Ms Singh said the National Horticulture Board (NHB) has been making efforts in creating post-harvest management facilities.

The major focus had been on development of commercial horticulture through production and post-harvest management as well as capital investment subsidy scheme for construction/expansion/ modernisation of cold storages and storages of horticultural produce. The Government has recently approved setting up of terminal markets under NHM through equity participation. Provisions are available under NHM for developing wholesales rural markets.

The National Bamboo Mission (NBM), which was approved recently will be formally launched by the Ministry soon. The operational guidelines of the scheme will also be circulated shortly. State governments should take necessary preparatory steps for identifying the nodal implementing agencies and preparing their annual action plan for 2006-07, the secretary added.

The conference is being attended by the representatives of state governments, scientific organisations connected with plant technology and experts in horticulture.

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