J&K Horticulture
Kashmir: 5,500 hectares to come under Modified High-Density Plantation
Srinagar/IBNS: In a bid to double the farmers income, J&K's Department of Horticulture has set a target of bringing 5,500 hectares of land under the Modified High-Density Plantation scheme within the union territory.
Director-General Horticulture, Aijaz Bhat, Saturday chaired a review meeting in which he directed officers to accelerate the pace of the scheme's implementation.
He also urged concerned officers to make frequent visits to the field and conduct awareness camps on a routine basis plus provide the growers with the latest technical know how.
Improvement of work culture in the offices, maintaining a friendly atmosphere and skill development of the staff were also among many orders given to the officers.
The J&K government has also accorded sanction to the implementation of a Modified High Density Plantation scheme.
On March 12, the Administrative Council under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved the implementation of a High-Density Plantation scheme in the horticulture sector with the support of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).
According to the Horticulture Department officials, the scheme will go a long way in enhancing the quality and quantity of horticulture produce and doubling the farmers’ income.
The farmer-centric scheme will be implemented for apple, walnut, almond, cherry, litchi, and olive among others over suitable agro-climatic zones for six years with effect from March, 2021, to March, 2026.
The new high-density plantation scheme has provisions to provide 50 percent subsidy to orchardists for the establishment of high-density orchards accompanied by a loan facility for raising 40 percent of the remaining capital.
The scheme will also provide subsidies to the growers on account of expenditure related to micro-irrigation, plant material, and anti-hail nets.
Under the scheme, preference will be given to farmers with landholdings of less than four kanal.
The high-density plantations are expected to make horticulture profitable through superior yields, higher yields per hectare, early harvest, and introduction of insect and pest resistance varieties thereby saving the expenditure on disease and pest control.
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