Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal on Tuesday inaugurated Polyhouse (nursery), established under Potato and Temperate Fruits Research Centre operating in Mainpat, during his visit to Surajpur district under lok Suraah Abhiyan. Officials of Horticulture Department informed that in the poly house developed under Temperate Horticulture Research Centre, 6000 saplings of temperate fruit like litchi, pears, plum, kiwi have been planted.
These saplings have been purchased from Punjab and Himachal. Officials told that research work and cultivation of these fruits in Research Centre will be done simultaneously. later, after the research work completes, scheme for cultivation of appropriate temperate fruits in hilly areas of Surguja will be formulated, and farmers will be encouraged to take benefit from this scheme.
Officials told that other than Mainpat, there is a great possibility of cultivation of such fruits in Kusmi area of Balrampur district and hilly area of Pendrapat of Jashpur district. Such fruits can be cultivated on nearly 10 thousand hectares of land in these areas. Agriculture Minister instructed Surguja Collector to allot 56 hectares of land for a garden in Keshwa near Mainpar. Agrawal also instructed to chalk out action plan for cultivation of buckwheat crop in Mainpat area. Officials told that Tibetans had brought seeds of this crop from Tibet and started cultivation of the same in Mainpat.
Presently, five thousand hectares of the area have been deployed for farming of this crop. Agriculture Minister has instructed officials concerned to initiate extensive programme for potato seed production. He directed officials to produce high quality potato seeds during Rabi season and distribute the same to farmers during kharif season. On the occasion, Sitapur MlA Amarjeet Singh was also present.