Haryana to get Rs 107 crore under Horticulture Mission

Chandigarh, June 7 (UNI) The Central Government has approved an outlay of Rs 107 crore for the development of horticulture in Haryana under National Horticulture Mission (NHM) for the current financial year.

In view of the huge strides made by the state in this sector, the Central Government has also given the nod to cover two more districts, Jind and Mahendragarh under the NHM scheme.

While giving this information today, Agriculture Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha said that the Union Government had launched National Horticulture Mission in the country to give boost to the horticultural activities. As many as 15 districts of the state--- Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Faridabad, Mewat, Gurgaon, Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa and Bhiwani had already been covered under the Mission.

Kurukshetra district was also covered under the NHM for the cultivation of mushroom only. He said that this Mission started in Haryana in February 2005.

While giving details about the outlay incurred under NHM in the state during the last two years, Mr Chatha said that during the year 2005-06, a sum of Rs 10.50 crore was sanctioned by the Central Government and for 2006-07, the amount was increased to Rs 40.18 crore. This year a substantial amount of Rs 107 crore had been sanctioned for the State, he added.

Mr Chatha said that under the mission programme upto the end of last financial year, an area of 3263 hectares was covered under various fruits by providing assistance to the farmers to the tune of 75 per cent. Similarly, 1637 hectares had been covered under flower cultivation by providing 33 to 50 per cent of assistance.

An area of 1452 hectares had been covered under spices by providing 75 per cent assistance to the farmers.

The Minister said that for marketing infrastructure and post harvest management, an amount of Rs 44.33 crore had been earmarked during the current financial year. A sum of Rs three crore had been earmarked to promote organic farming and protected cultivation and Rs 2.58 crore for flower cultivation.

He said that a sum of Rs 2.80 crore was earmarked for establishment of new gardens under the scheme and financial assistance to the tune of 75 per cent was being provided to the farmers for this purpose.

Similarly, to give special boost to the cultivation of spices, medicinal plants and mushroom, a sum of Rs 5.76 crore would be incurred during the current financial year, he added.

UNI