Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday announced the introduction of master’s degree and PhD programmes in post-harvest management, plant pest control and plant diseases to strengthen research and expertise in the horticulture sector.
The Chief Minister also dedicated 14 Horticulture Science Centres of Maharana Pratap Horticulture University, stating that the centres would help provide farmers with advanced technologies, quality planting material and scientific guidance.
Saini was addressing the inaugural session of a national conference organised by Maharana Pratap Horticulture University and the Lieutenant Amit Memorial Foundation in Karnal.
The conference was held on the theme, “Strategic Paradigm of Quality Seeds and Planting Material for Horticultural Crops in Amritkaal”.
During the event, the Chief Minister honoured horticulture scientists and progressive farmers with shields, shawls and certificates of appreciation. University Vice-Chancellor Suresh Kumar Malhotra felicitated the Chief Minister, MLAs and other dignitaries with statues of Maharana Pratap.
Addressing the gathering, Saini said India was the world’s second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, with annual horticultural production exceeding 360 million tonnes.
“Today, India is among the world leaders in the production of fruits such as mango, banana, guava and pomegranate, as well as vegetables including potato and onion. However, despite high production, the country continues to suffer major economic losses due to deficiencies in quality, grading, disease-free planting material and post-harvest management,” he said.
The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the main campus of Maharana Pratap Horticulture University on December 9, 2024.
“In such a short time, the university has achieved remarkable milestones. Whether in education, research or farmer services, the institution has established a distinct identity. The technologies developed here, training programmes and continuous interaction with farmers are giving new energy and momentum to Haryana’s horticulture revolution,” he said.
Saini said the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 extended beyond economic growth and included self-reliant agriculture, nutritional security, scientific innovation and farmer prosperity.
He said the global agricultural sector now recognised that quality seeds and planting material could increase productivity by 15 to 25 per cent, stressing the need to focus on scientific management, quality planting material and modern supply chains.
To enhance farmers’ income, the state government has set a target of doubling the horticulture sector and tripling production by 2030, he added.
The Chief Minister said Haryana had established 13 centres of excellence for horticulture and had fixed protected prices for 21 horticultural crops, including fruits and vegetables, under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.
(IANS Inputs)
