States/UTs asked to make clusters for major hosticulture crops : Minister

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New Delhi : Mission for Integrated Development Horticulture (MIDH), a centrally sponsored scheme, is being implemented for the holistic development of horticulture sector in the country covering fruits, vegetables, roots and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo through various interventions. Under MIDH, cluster-based approach is adopted for production and linking it with available infrastructure, or to be created, for post harvest management, processing, marketing and export.

While selecting the cluster, preference is given to those areas where natural resource base and water resources have been developed.  Special emphasis is also given to adoption of area based cluster approach towards developing regionally differentiated crops, which are agro-climatically most suitable for the State/region.

However, the details of clusters including vegetables are not maintained at the Central level. No such proposal is under consideration of this Ministry. However, under MIDH for the current financial year, States/UTs were requested to make sub-plan for development of Clusters of major horticulture crops including vegetables and make provisions in their current years’ Action Plan for development of these clusters.This Information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, according to a PIB release