Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced that a Clean Plant Center will be established in Srinagar under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).
It will focus on clean, disease-free planting material for apples, almonds, walnuts, and berries. Private nurseries will also be supported to ensure high-quality, pathogen-free plants are made available to farmers, he, according to an official release issued here, said.
The Clean Plant Center will be built at a cost of Rs 150-crore.
The Union Minister also held a detailed meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewing various issues concerning agriculture at the State Secretariat during his visit to Srinagar.
Chouhan, interacting with the media persons after his meeting with the Chief Minister, emphasised that a developed Jammu and Kashmir is crucial to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
He noted that agriculture remains the backbone of both the Indian and Jammu and Kashmir economies, with nearly 50 percent of the population depending on it for livelihood.
Also, he praised the state’s initiative ‘KisanKhidmatGhar’ — a one-stop center providing the farmers access to all agricultural services under one roof.
Chouhan expressed satisfaction with the variety of horticulture crops grown in the region, such as apples, almonds, and walnuts.
However, he also raised concern for imported plant materials that often turn out to be infected after two to three years.
Clean Plant Center, he said, will be set up to address the issue.
He also stated that farmers who have received land allotments from the government but lack official documentation will be considered for inclusion under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.
The government is also planning to launch the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) soon to ensure that horticulture crops are accurately mapped and included under the PM Fasal BimaYojana (PMFBY), the Union Minister added.
Commenting on the demand for a Regional Horticulture Center in the Jammu region, Chouhan said that ICAR would support Jammu Agricultural University with the required infrastructure.
The minister further said that the current storage limit in Controlled Atmosphere facilities would be extended from 18 months to 24 months.
Highlighting ‘saffron’ as a symbol of Kashmir’s identity, Chouhan announced that the central government would also establish a tissue culture lab and nursery to boost saffron production.
He said the National Saffron Mission would be revised to suit local conditions, and an expert team of scientists would be formed to improve productivity and reduce losses.