Exotic fruits such as avocado, blueberry, dragon fruit, and macadamia nut are set to be cultivated under the Himachal Pradesh Sub-tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (SHIVA) project, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Initially, the project, valued at 155.66 million USD, focused on fruits like orange, guava, mango, pomegranate, litchi, plum, persimmons, and pecan nuts. "We have sent a proposal for planting these fruit saplings to the Asian Development Bank. The bank has approved the proposal in principle. Once the formalities are completed, we will start the plantation of these fruit saplings," stated Devender Thakur, Project Director.
The project aims to plant over one crore fruit saplings across Sirmaur, Solan, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, and Mandi districts to enhance sub-tropical fruit production and diversify the state's fruit offerings. Currently, temperate zone fruits, notably apple and stone fruits, dominate the region's fruit production.
According to Thakur, "We have done a market study and a crop suitability study before deciding to plant these fruit saplings under the SHIVA project. The result of both surveys was positive." Improved varieties will be imported, alongside some local varieties.
The initiative involves planting saplings in 400 clusters over 6,000 hectares, with 162 irrigation schemes included. "The work on 136 irrigation schemes is already underway. These schemes will cover 215 clusters on around 3,000 hectares," Thakur noted.
Thakur mentioned that the plantation in 55 clusters is either completed or ongoing. "The project is moving ahead as per the schedule. It has been just one year since the project started, but we have already made good progress," he added.
Source: The Tribune