Agriculture News: Inauguration of Centre of Excellence for Fruits under Indo-Israel Work Plan

On the occasion of inauguration of Centre of Excellence (CoE) for fruits, Ladwa, Haryana under Indo-Israel work plan, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh today said that the centre is an outcome of the MOU signed between the two countries in May, 2006.

Shri Singh thanks the Israeli Government for their technical support in commissioning the project. Shri Singh said that the Work Plan was visualized to avail the latest technological expertise of Israel to accelerate the growth of Indian Agriculture. In this context, Israel’s technical competence in the area of water management and protected cultivation is well known world over.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that fruits and vegetables occupy a prime place in Indian horticulture. Most of these crops are being produced by the small and marginal farmers by using conventional methods, resulting in low productivity. With the development of protected cultivation and use of quality planting material there is a tremendous scope to enhance yield as well as quality for fetching good market price by the farmers.

The CoE, Ladwa spread over an area of 12 ha shall play a pivotal role in promoting cultivation of high value fruits, as viable option to wheat – rice cycle. In this context, the CoE at Ladwa assumes high significance, not only due to the fact that the focus is on fruits but also due to its proximity to Delhi, a high fruits consumption centre.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that the Government of India has provided high priority for the successful implementation of the Indo-Israel collaborative projects. Many Officers and field functionaries have had the opportunity to visit Israel to gain firsthand knowledge and training on different aspects of horticulture. While their experience is being gainfully utilized in India, there is a need to strengthen the calibre and skills of the Indian personnel deployed in the development of horticulture through the National Horticulture Mission.