India Launches Clean Plant Programme to Boost Horticulture
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | India's first International Agri Hackathon held in Pune, Maharashtra. |
| Programme Launched | Clean Plant Programme unveiled by the Union government. |
| Objective | To provide disease-free horticultural plants to farmers, starting with Maharashtra, to boost agricultural productivity. |
| Key Crops Focused | Grapes (Pune), Oranges (Nagpur), and Pomegranates (Solapur). |
| Investment | Rs 300 crore allocated for the programme. |
| Financial Support | Large nurseries: Rs 3 crore, Medium nurseries: Rs 1.5 crore. |
| Seedling Production Target | 8 crore disease-free seedlings annually. |
| International Collaboration | Collaboration with Israel and the Netherlands to enhance the programme. |
| Lab to Land Initiative | 16,000 agricultural scientists to work with farmers for knowledge transfer on seed production, disease diagnosis, and best practices. |
| Horticulture Status in India | India is the 2nd largest producer of fruits and vegetables, contributing 33% to agriculture Gross Value Added (GVA). |
| Government Initiatives | Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH), Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH), etc. |