New Zealand High Commissioner Joanna Kempkers, along with other delegates, met Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here on Friday and discussed various issues pertaining to provide and impart technical know how in horticulture and related industry.
Thakur apprised the New Zealand delegates about the horticulture practices in the existing orchards besides expanding it in other districts like Mandi, Chamba and Sirmaur. He said he was grateful to Government of India and World Bank for having agreed to fund Rs 1134 crore Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project for the state to support the introduction of new technologies in horticulture sector.
The CM said that the road map of “High-Tech” horticulture would not only revolutionize the horticulture sector in the State but also ameliorate the fate of Himachali fruit growers for a better and prosperous tomorrow. He expressed happiness over the progress made by New Zealand in producing high quality apple per hectare, which remarkably averages around 65 MT per hectares and New Zealand was providing technical knowhow to as many as 60 to 70 countries.
By joining hands with farming expertise from New Zealand, one of the world leading fruit producers, will certainly help the fruit growers of Himachal in big way, he added. He exhorted the experts that challenge before them was to enhance the productivity in the State from 6-7 metric tonne to at least 50% of the productivity in their country.
Joanna Kempkers said this project was a welcome progression to the long-standing association of New Zealand experts with horticulturists of the State. She said that New Zealand and Indian apple farmers were not competitors in the market but partners. She said as it would help in improving the productivity and management of orchards and contribute to creating more jobs and bettering livelihoods.
New Zealand’s entire horticultural sector was globally renowned for being innovative, sophisticated, and highly productive, backed by sound science and world best practices.