On Wednesday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the four-day National Horticulture Fair on Innovative Horticulture for self-reliance and to showcase the latest technologies developed in the sector. In his video address Tomar said Horticulture plays an important role in doubling the income of farmers and providing essential nutritional security.
He expressed confidence that this horticulture fair will create awareness among farmers/stakeholders about latest technologies on horticulture crops for sustainable production and increase the scope for processing and export promotion to make India a global player in the Horticulture sector.
The sector is being considered as a driver of economic growth and is gradually turning into an organized industry linked to seed trading, value addition and exports. Horticulture has a significant contribution in the export of agricultural products worth more than Rs. Four lakh crore, he said.
Lauding IIHR, Tomar said it is working on 54 horticulture crops and has developed more than 300 varieties and hybrids of horticulture crops for the benefit of various stakeholders, which are popular in North-Eastern states and other regions. This has led to contributions of Rs 30,000 crore annually in the ever-growing horticulture sector.
The institute has done remarkable work by linking biodiversity with the livelihood of custodian farmers of jackfruit and tamarind and this model can be replicated to other horticultural crops. The Institute has started work on exotic fruit crops (Kamalam, Avocado, Mangosteen, Rambutan) which will help in reducing imports, as well as the new variety of watermelons developed by the Institute will help in reducing the import of its seeds. Shri Tomar urged upon the scientists to sincerely take it up as a challenge to reduce imports.
Tomar said that Rs 2,200 crore has been allocated in the budget for the development of Horticulture sector. Besides, the Prime Minister has taken the initiative to make Natural Farming a mass movement, for which a provision of Rs 459 crore has been made.
In 3 years, 1 crore farmers will be given financial aid for Natural Farming, for which 10,000 bio input research centers will be set up. Budget provision has also been made for farmers to make full use of technology. FPO is a revolutionary step in the direction of raising the standard of living of Small and Medium Farmers, the benefits of which have started flowing to these farmers. Horticulture FPOs are also becoming beneficial for the farmers.
The program was presided over by Dr. A.K. Singh, Deputy DG (Horticulture Science). On this occasion, APEDA General Manager Shri R. Ravindra, Dr. Baldev Raj Gulati, Director, ICAR-NIVEDI, Dr. S.K. Singh, Director, IIHR, SPH Vice President Dr. C. Ashwath, Organizing Secretary Dr. R.K. Venkat Kumar were among dignitaries present.
Shri Sushant Kumar Patra, Shri Pinku Debnath, Shri G. Swami, Shri Sangram Kesari Pradhan, Ms. Vidya, Shri Siddharthan and Shri Polepalli Sudhakar were given the Best Farmer awards. The guests released souvenir and a handbook on ‘Vegetable Production Techniques’.