Chandigarh, August 18:
In order to realise the plans of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government to increase the income of farmers and ensure crop diversification in the state, Punjab Horticulture and Food Processing Minister Fauja Singh Sarari, on Thursday, directed the department officials to make every possible effort to double the area under horticulture through the Centers of Excellence running in the state.
Chairing a meeting to review the ongoing activities in the State Horticulture Department, Cabinet Minister Fauja Singh Sarari also asked the officials to promote beekeeping in the state as an Integrated Development Center has been proposed to be established at District Ludhiana, which will help in increasing the income of beekeepers. The Minister was apprised that around 16500 MT of the honey is being contributed to the centre’s pool by the bee-keepers of state.
He emphasized that due to perishable nature of the horticulture crops, it is mandatory to implement Horticulture Crop Insurance Scheme in the state to bring diversification under horticulture. He instructed the departmental head that the proposal of insurance scheme for horticulture crops should be sent to the government soon.
Director Horticulture Punjab Shailender Kaur briefed the minister about the integral and exclusive works of the Horticulture Department for promoting horticulture in the state. Horticulture Minister Fauja Singh Sarari appreciated the work being done by the department. He insisted for encouraging the campaign to take horticulture to each and every farmer.
The Minister was apprised that keeping in mind the nutritional security, the department supplies around one lakh winter and summer vegetable seed mini kits for home gardens to the people every year to popularize kitchen gardening.
Apart from this, proposals of all the farmer welfare schemes with Horticulture Department which may prove beneficial for the horticulturists of the state in the future, should be sent to the government, the Minister added.
All the district heads participated in this meeting and the minister was briefed about the district wise horticulture activities and successful farmers.
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