Indian government's PMDP scheme is helping progressive apple growers in J-K’s Anantnag
Srinagar: The Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), announced by PM Narendra Modi in 2015 for Jammu and Kashmir, is emerging as a positive step for the farmers of the Union territory as the horticulture department has set up apple orchards in Anantnag district to increase the production of apple in the region.
The department is aiding the apple growers in the region by providing them high-density apple plants under the PMDP which provides them nets, borewells and other facilities on subsidy.
The high-density apple plants are reportedly yielding positive results.
Under the scheme, the government promotes high-density plantations, phasing out old plantations which have completed their economic life, giving farmers a subsidy of 50 per cent on re-plantation, reports ANI.
To help the farmers in the region, the department is also providing technical support to apple growers for the scientific layout of these new plantations.
Speaking to ANI, Asif Hussain Bodha, Horticulture Officer, Anantnag, said that these high- density plants have been given to the apple growers under PMDP scheme and they are earning a good amount of money.
“We have set up an apple orchard here. This land was barren. The other day, I was passing by this area when Shakeel Ahmad (an apple grower) met me. I told him about the project, he too was interested, so we established this orchard here. Traditional farming yields only 11-12 MT per hectare while we aim towards 30 MT per hectare with the help of this project. I think we are moving towards achieving this goal,” Bodha said.
“This scheme falls under PMDP in which we have given 90 per cent subsidy in plant material and after that, the department has given him tractor and a borewell on subsidy. This project helps earn a good amount of income,” he added.
Another apple grower, Mushtaq Ahmad, who has also adopted the same method for apple plantation, told the Indian news agency it is very profitable.
“This increases our income as we get 90 per cent subsidy,” he told ANI.
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