Chief Minister Harish Rawat stressed on an integrated policy to bring the apple growers of Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir under it. While inaugurating the national apple Mahotsav and conference at Kisan Bhawan in Dehradun on Saturday, he said that there is a tremendous scope in horti-tourism.
Dwelling on the State Government’s initiative to revamp horticulture, he said that the State horticulture department has been extending all kinds of assistance to those involved in horticulture through implementing 25 schemes. However, climate change is severely impacting production out of horticulture, he added.
Invoking Himachal Pradesh, CM said that the neighbouring State has framed a policy to minimise the impact of the changing climate following which they are reaping huge benefits. “It is thus time for us to develop a similar mechanism here too so as to make the horticulturists aware of the changing weather and other things in advance. We will prepare a plan for the next 10 years, taking the World Bank on board,” CM said.
“For this, the small and the large apple growers will have to adopt professional approach while stressing on promoting commercial horticulture. Small group clusters will have to be developed and they will have to give emphasis on nursery which can produce high quality plants. We will provide the latest technology to the farmers at subsidised rate,” Harish Rawat said.
While expressing satisfaction over the positive development being reported in fruit cultivation, he said that the apples grown in Uttarakhand are getting increasing recognition in the markets. “However, the need of the hour is for the three States-Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir to join hands with a view to firming up an integrated policy. This would boost things enormously, helping all the three States to positively impact the national and international markets. We will have to give emphasis on processing and for this, we will have to educate our farmers,” he said while calling upon the officials concerned to bring a proposal to transform the Uttarakhand horticulture marketing council into a corporation.
He stressed that with tremendous potential hidden in horti-tourism, the State would do everything to exploit it in full as the facilitator. “If we run horticulture in an adequately professional manner it can throw ample of job opportunities in its wake. What is needed is to felicitate the apple growers so as to ensure that others are inspired,” he said, while stressing that the State policy would be framed incorporating the ideas of the apple growers. CM asked the officials to establish processing unit through APEDA for ginger, mango, litchi and orange as well. He also asked to felicitate and give cash award to the farmer crop wise if he cultivates quality and quantity.
While addressing the occasion, the State Horticulture Minister Preetam Singh Panwar said that promotion of horticulture would go a long way in arresting the trend of migration from the hills to the plains. There is plenty of scope for improvement in management after harvesting as per the climate change, developing new breed, cluster based horticulture and marketing.
“We are developing new breed of apple plants which can cope up with the adverse impact of the climate change. However, to boost things up, we will have to adopt cluster approach,” the Minister said.
later, CM Rawat also felicitated the achievers in different sectors and also released a souvenir released to mark the apple mahotsav.
Other dignitaries present on the occasion were the president of the Indian Apple Growers’ Association Dr Ravinder Singh Chouhan, the association’s secretary Kundan Singh Panwar and additional secretary Teekam Singh Panwar aside from some officials.