Farmers of Haryana will soon visit Israel to undergo specialised training in agriculture and the farming practices of that country.
Israeli cultivation technology and know-how of fruit plants will also be shared with Indian farmers and horticulturists at the centre of excellence for fruits which was inaugurated on Tuesday in Sirsa district.
The centre was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Israeli Ambassador Alon Ushpiz at Mangiana village in Sirsa. After setting up a centre of excellence for vegetables in 2011, India and Israel have now joined hands for setting up a centre for fruits, a spokesman of the Haryana Government said here. The centre for fruits is spread over an area of 72 acres.
The Chief Minister said that the Israeli Ambassador has consented that two training courses having a group of 25 to 30 farmers each could be conducted every year. These courses would soon be organised so that our farmers could get information about how to increase productivity by using less water.
“This is the second Indo-Israel centre of excellence to be established in Haryana. It will serve as yet another focal point for Indo-Israeli agriculture R&D (research and development), and will showcase some of the most advanced Israeli nursery and fruit cultivating technologies, adapted for Indian conditions by local experts,” a spokesman of the Israeli Embassy said.
Under a three-year work plan for Indo-Israeli cooperation in agriculture, 30 centres of excellence in 10 States across India have been planned.
“Saplings of citrus fruits, pomegranate, olive, guava and date had been planted in this centre. Apart from this, shed net house, anti-insect house and high-tech greenhouse had also been set up,” the Israeli Embassy spokesman said.
“Indo-Israel technology is being applied in this centre. Micro-irrigation with automatic system had been installed in separate blocks of orchards and nursery,” he added.