The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has introduced a set of schemes and subsidies for fruit growers in the Padder-Nagseni constituency of Kishtwar district. This announcement was made in response to an inquiry by MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma during an assembly session.
The Minister in charge of Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative, and Election Departments presented strategies to assist apple, walnut, and other fruit growers through specific interventions.
The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) provides financial aid for developing new orchards, irrigation systems, farm mechanization, vermi-compost units, pack houses, cold stores, and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage units.
The Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) emphasizes the production of designer plants, supporting high-density plantations and orchard rejuvenation. It includes assistance for rootstock banks, mother block units, and protected cultivation infrastructure.
Support is also available for enhancing agri-marketing systems, including grading lines, refrigerated vans, composting units in mandis, and pickup vans.
The High-Density Plantation Scheme offers subsidies for establishing high-density orchards to boost yield and productivity.
Additional measures include support for grading and packaging units, area expansion, and cold storage and processing units. CA storage units can receive a 50% subsidy of up to $1.08 million (for a 5,000 MT capacity), with an additional top-up subsidy of up to $871,000.
MIDH provides a 50% subsidy for technical civil works and plant & machinery up to $960,000. PMFME offers a 35% credit-linked subsidy of up to $12,000 for micro food processing units. The UT Capex Budget provides a 50% subsidy (up to $12,000) on machinery costs, with an additional 10% subsidy for women and Self-Help Groups.
Source: Rising Kashmir