Horticulture bio-tech centre to be set up in Karnal

Chandigarh, Jun 10 (UNI) The Haryana Horticulture Department has decided to start a Horticulture Bio-Technology centre at Karnal with a cost of Rs 10 lakh to produce tissue culture plants.

While stating this here today, Agriculture Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha said the horiculture Centre would be set up to keep pace with modern technologies. It would produce tissue culture of banana, potato micro tubers, flowers and other crops.

Plant tissue culture which was a useful tool for the rapid production of many genetically identical plants using relatively small amounts of space, supplies and time would be extensively used for giving a major fillip to horticultural activities in the state.

The Centre would also cater to introduce the concept of DNA finger printing and popularising the virus indexing technology.

The Minister said the department would also spend a sum of Rs 92 lakh for popularisation and extension of latest technologies in horticulture.

Furthermore, production of quality planting material by bio - technology methods, especially through tissue culture would be given impetus. Similarly, healthy plants and seed varieties would be popularised by selling these at subsidised rates, he added.

Mr Chatha said subsidy of Rs 25,500 per unit would be given for establishing new mushroom units under the Mushroom Development scheme. A budget provision of Rs 35 lakh had been earmarked for the current financial year for the purpose.

The scheme was being implemented in the non-National Horticulture Mission(NHM) districts where mushroom cultivation was not brought under NHM. Assistance would also be given on distributing mushroom trays in existing units at a rate of Rs 60 per tray and 250 trays per farmer would be provided.

A subsidy of Rs 75,000 per unit would also be given as assistance on pasturised compost units.

The minister said a sum of Rs 34 lakh had also been earmarked for the development and promotion of organic farming which would be spent in non-NHM districts. Assistance on area adoption under organic farming and on vermi compost unit would also be provided.

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