India’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved several revisions to the country’s National Horticulture Mission (NHM) last Thursday, focusing in the main on new production technologies.
The NHM was announced in 2004 and launched the following year with the stated aims of doubling horticulture production by 2011/12, collaboration in horticulture research and development, and technology transfer to the country’s producers.
“Based on the feedback received during the implementation of the scheme, new interventions such as high density plantations (HDP), horticulture mechanisation and certification of good agricultural practices (GAP) have been included,” said the CCEA and ministry of agriculture in a press release.
The changes also aim to improve incentives for farmers to adopt improved cultivars and technologies by revising the costs involved in setting up nurseries, expanding production areas, rejuvenation programmes and cultivation protection, reported India’s FnB News.
India’s government will also commit more funding to the mission, and encourage private sector investment in post-harvest management infrastructure.
A total of Rs35.03bn (US$758m) was initially dedicated to the scheme. In its announcement the government proposed funding of Rs103.63bn (US$2.3bn) for the scheme during the country’s 11th five-year economic plan, which ends in 2012.
Since its inauguration, the National Horticulture Mission has brought 1.26m ha of land under horticultural crops, and has accounted for development of 1,217 post-harvest management units, 59 markets and 294 scientific facilities, reported FnB News.
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