Haryana collaborates with Israel for Centre of Excellence for fruits & vegetables
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18 July 2020, Chandigarh: Haryana is working on new technology in the field of horticulture in collaboration with Israel by setting up Centre of Excellence for fruits and vegetables said Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Mr. J.P. Dalal. These Centre of Excellence for fruits and vegetables have been set up in various districts in Haryana and the State is planning to setup three to four additional Centres.
Horticulture is being promoted to increase the income of farmers and the State Government is also providing subsidy on horticulture, he added.
The Agriculture Minister was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a five-day fruit festival being organized by Horticulture Department of Haryana at the Centre for Sub-Tropical Fruit, Ladwa in district Kurkshetra today.
On this occasion, the Agriculture Minister planted a mango sapling and later he inspected various varieties of fruits including mango, peach, plum, pear, guava, and pomegranate which are planted over 30 acres of land.
Addressing the farmers of the State through a webinar, the Agriculture Minister said that the Department has been successfully organizing Mango Mela in Pinjore for many years but this time the Mela has been brought to the mango orchards and for the first time, the fruit festival is being organized in the Sub-Tropical Fruit Centre of Ladwa. He said that this year the fruit festival is not focused on just one fruit, rather will focus on a different fruits everyday including mango, litchi, guava, pomegranate and pear.
He said that following the social distancing norms due to COVID-19 pandemic only a few farmers have been invited to this festival and others are being connected through a webinar. To double the income of farmers in the State more attention is being paid to horticulture, dairy, milk and fisheries. Loans are being provided to the educated youth for setting up processing units so as to provide employment.
The Agriculture Minister said that loans are being provided at low interest rates for businesses like horticulture, dairy, fisheries and the State Government aims to provide employment to 10,000 youth in a year. He said that to save water, the State Government is laying emphasis on micro irrigation and has fixed a budget of Rs 1000 crore for this purpose. In this manner every drop of water will be utilized for irrigation on the lines of irrigation methods being used in Israel.
