The Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project amounting to Rs1,185 crore had been approved by the World Bank and would soon be launched in the State, Chief MInister Virbhadra Singh said on Tuesday.
Speaking in a function organised by Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), at Dhalli in Shimla, he said this would provide adequate opportunities to the horticulturalists and farmers to learn and grow different species of fruit crops including the main apple crop. The orchardists would also be able to learn new techniques to be adopted to produce quality fruits.
The Chief Minister said that it was on the request of the State Government that the World Bank had agreed to the proposal. "As agriculture, horticulture and floriculture were the mainstay of rural people in Himachal, the project would go a long way in strengthening the orchardists and agriculturalists as it also included the training concept and exposure visits to know about latest techniques," he said.
The Chief Minister said that traders play very important role in marketing of fruits and vegetables and in sale and purchase of the produce of the farmers. It had been observed that paradigm shift in cultivation had taken place and the people were earning well by growing off-season vegetables which had given the required fillip to the rural economy.
He said many marketing yards were under construction in the State and the Government was committed to modernise the existing marketing yards and plan the upcoming ones according to the needs of the farmers and where there was necessity to do so.
"The Government would seek assistance of agro-scientists for assessing the soil and climatic conditions for growing different types of fruits and vegetables under different temperature and topography," he said, adding that marketing plays a key role in strengthening the economy of farmers.
Today eighty percent of marketing was done online, which not only saved time but also provided ample opportunities to farmers to sell their produce fetching them handsome amount he said. “Small profits and quick returns have become order of the day and the traders should adhere to this formula to benefit the producers”, he added.
The Chief Minister said that many markets had been constructed in the State and the marketing yards should be properly registered and recognised. The Marketing Board and Marketing Committees should keep an eye on such so called over-night traders or vendors who make temporary arrangements by erecting shelters under the banner of purchase counters and try to lure the farmers by promising them attractive prices and later such people, when earn enough profit, pack up and disappear the very next day leaving farmers and horticulturalists in dismay. Such activities needed to be monitored by the marketing committees, he added.
Chairman, Agriculture Produce Marketing Board, Shubhash Manglet said that a sum of Rs.150 crore had been sanctioned by the World Bank for up-gradation and modernizing of 54 fruit and vegetable marketing yards in the State. He said that in future online marketing facilities would be provided to the farmers with fixed rates which would facilitate both the farmers and the traders. He said that Solan vegetable and fruit market had become the first pilot vegetable market in the country to be linked online with National Agriculture Market web portal for retail marketing of agricultural and horticultural produce.