Under World Bank project, Himachal imported 33.20 lakh plants in 8 years; more than 80% were apple

2 hours ago 1

ApplesOf the 33,22,760 imported plants, 28.57 lakh (28,57,975) were of 45 varieties of apple; 54,000 were of 18 varieties of pear; 27,140 were of six varieties of walnut; and 17,200 were of six varieties of California almond. (Representational Image)

Himachal Pradesh imported astir 33.20 lakh plants of 122 varieties of 11 fruits, including apples, California almonds, walnuts, and cherries, betwixt 2016 and 2024 arsenic portion of an eight-year World Bank-funded agriculture improvement project. The plants were sourced from countries specified arsenic the US, Germany, Italy, France, and Russia’s Siberia.

“Of the 33.20 lakh imported plants, 13.09 lakh were grafted plants, and 17.12 lakh were rootstocks sourced from overseas countries. We stored these imported plants successful our specially designed 93 Progeny-cum-Demonstration Orchards (PCDOs) nether quarantine norms,” Satish Kumar Sharma, Joint Director of Horticulture, Himachal Pradesh, told The Indian Express.

Of the 33,22,760 imported plants, 28.57 lakh (28,57,975) were of 45 varieties of apple; 54,000 were of 18 varieties of pear; 27,140 were of six varieties of walnut; and 17,200 were of six varieties of California almond. Additionally, 15,747 plants of 19 varieties of peach, 14,000 plants of 21 varieties of chromatic fruits, 4,617 plants of six varieties of plum, 1,920 plants of 3 varieties of hazelnut, and 1,250 plants of 19 varieties of nectarine were besides imported.

The plants were imported arsenic portion of the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project, worthy Rs 1,046 crore, which has reportedly benefited astir 1.50 lakh tiny farmers and agro-entrepreneurs successful the state.

“The superior nonsubjective of this World Bank-funded task was to enactment tiny farmers and agro-entrepreneurs, including women, successful Himachal Pradesh by expanding the productivity, quality, and marketplace entree of selected horticulture commodities,” Sharma explained. “Besides distributing these imported plants to section farmers, we besides propagated lakhs of plants and rootstocks successful our nurseries to conscionable the expanding request successful the state,” helium added.

Festive offer

A grafted works is made up of 2 parts of antithetic varieties to get the desired assortment portion rootstock is the basal of the grafted plant.

“The request for imported plants is increasing each year. However, the proviso provided by the authorities horticulture section is insufficient to conscionable the request arsenic farmers from different states similar Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir besides vie for these plants,” Sudershan Thakur, an orchardist from Rampur-Bushahr successful Shimla district, said.

“The spread successful request is being met by backstage nurseries, which independently import plants from abroad. Notably, determination is simply a important quality successful the prices charged by the authorities horticulture section and backstage nurseries,” Thakur added.

According to a authorities horticulture section officer, astir 600 backstage nurseries were registered with the authorities authorities and these nurseries besides imported effect plants from overseas countries.

“In 2023-24, the authorities authorities fixed the terms of each grafted works of apple, pear, and peach imported from the US astatine Rs 400. However, backstage nurseries sold akin imported plants for Rs 700. Similarly, successful 2024-25, the authorities horticulture section acceptable the terms for US-imported peach, nectarine, plum, and almond plants astatine Rs 300 per plant,” a root said.

Horticulture Development Officer Suresh Negi said the task has ended but the section inactive has imported plants. “The section has propagated much than 4 lakh rootstocks and grafted plants successful its ain nurseries. This banal volition cater to the demands of section farmers,” helium added.

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