Punjab’s 1st high-tech model fruit nursery opens in Patiala
PATIALA: To promote crop diversification among farmers, Punjab’s first high-tech model fruit nursery was inaugurated in Patiala on Friday.
Pushpinder Singh Aulakh, director, horticulture department, said the nursery has been developed at a cost of Rs 43 lakh under the National Horticulture Mission.
The department has also come up with a nursery having plants with nutritional values, so as to provide such plants to the farmers across the state.
“It is very necessary to come up with refined quality of fruit, vegetable and flower saplings for farmers to bring them out of the traditional cycle of wheat and paddy,” he said.
Aulakh said at least three lakh saplings will be developed with polybag techniques and the farmers of Malwa belt from Chandigarh to Abohar areas near Rajasthan border and kandi areas will be provided with at least 30,000 such saplings every year.
“Though the Punjab horticulture department has 23 nurseries, including the centre of excellence nursery, the model nursery is unique as diseaseresistant horticulture saplings are being developed here,” he said.
He added that another such nursery will be set up in Jalandhar in the coming days.
Aulakh said the farmers will also be given technical training in horticulture.
The department, he said, has also come up with a marketing wing, which will help farmers in selling their produce in the market and work in collaboration with Punjab Agro and Markfed.