Horticulture of Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Definition of Horticulture

• Horticulture refers to the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other plants such as spices, condiments, and plantation crops.
• It involves the scientific and artistic approach to growing these plants in gardens.
• The term "Horticulture" comes from the Latin word "Hortus," which means enclosure or garden, and "culture," which refers to cultivation. Therefore, Horticulture means the cultivation of garden crops.

Branches of Horticulture

The field of Horticultural Science is a distinct area within the broader Agricultural Sciences discipline and can be categorized into four distinct branches, which are as follows:

Main Branches

• The study of fruit crops is known as Pomology.
• The cultivation of vegetable crops is known as Olericulture.
• Floriculture is the branch of horticulture that deals with the cultivation of ornamental flowers and landscaping.
• The principles of preserving fruits and vegetables fall under the category of Fruit and vegetable preservation.

Sub Branches

• The cultivation of plantation and medicinal plants
• Gardening for ornamental purposes
• Gardening for landscaping purposes
• The production of plants in nurseries

Haryana Government Effort for Horticulture

• The Horticulture Department is responsible for the production and maintenance of crops such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal plants, and mushrooms.
• Horticulture crops are highly specialized and technical, requiring systematic planning for their development because they are perishable in nature.
• Horticulture is becoming increasingly important because it provides better returns per unit area and employment opportunities, as well as filling nutritional gaps.
• In Haryana, farmers have also started to take up horticulture crops as a separate economic activity, and in 1990-91, the Haryana Government created a separate Department of Horticulture to support this.
• The Department has a Directorate located in Udyan Bhawan, Sector-21, Panchkula, and 21 district offices and 25 government garden nurseries across the State to provide extension services in the field of horticulture and quality planting materials.

Vision and Objectives

The department aims to address the growing challenges in horticulture and improve the nutritional security of the population. They have set a vision to transform Haryana into a leading state in modern fruit and vegetable cultivation, both in domestic and export markets.
To achieve this, they have established the following objectives:

1. Diversify from agriculture to horticulture.
2. Double the horticulture production in the 11th plan.

Five Year Plan

• Efficient utilization of natural resources
• Collaboration and cooperation among all involved parties
• Enhancement of horticultural produce productivity, yield, and quality
• Boosting of economic condition and income generation
• Dissemination of advanced technology to farmers
• Ensuring food security and nutrition for the population
• Development of export capabilities to earn foreign currency

Haryana Strengths, Opportunities and Initiatives

Strengths

• The region has a climate suitable for producing high-quality fruits and vegetables.
• The area has fertile soils that are particularly good for growing fruits and vegetables and have high potential for production.
• The location of the region is advantageous as it is close to major markets such as Delhi and the tri-city of Chandigarh.

Opportunities

• The nearby National Capital Region (NCR) provides great marketing opportunities.
• There is potential for the establishment of processing industries for fruits (such as mango, citrus, aonla, and strawberry) and vegetables (such as peas, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and onions).
• Mangoes, citrus-kinnow, and vegetables can be exported to the Far East.
• Changes to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) act have created opportunities for contract farming.
• The industry climate is favorable.

Initiatives

• The outlay for Horticulture has increased by over 200 times in the last 5 years, from Rs. 80 lakhs in 2004-05 to Rs. 16,573 lakhs in 2009-10.
• New schemes such as the National Horticulture Mission, Micro-Irrigation, and National Mission on Medicinal Plants have been launched. Under the National Horticulture Mission, initiatives have been taken to expand the area under fruits, flowers, and spices, create water resources, and improve post-harvest management and marketing infrastructure.
• Haryana has developed an integration model that combines community tanks, orchard plantations, and micro-irrigation, which has been emulated by other states.
• Efforts have been made to promote water-saving techniques and provide increased subsidy assistance in the Micro Irrigation scheme, covering an area of 8,231 Ha up to 2008-09.
• Projects worth Rs. 67.00 crore and Rs. 170.00 crores were sanctioned in 2006-07 and 2009-10, respectively, to promote post-harvest management and marketing facilities such as collection centers, pack houses, grading units, and wholesale markets for fruits and vegetables.
• The Horticulture Training Institute in Karnal has introduced new courses in the field of horticulture, including one-year diplomas, six-month courses, and three-month courses.
• The government of Haryana has partnered with the government of Israel to launch two projects: the Center of Excellence for Fruits and the Center of Excellence for Vegetables. These centers will demonstrate new technologies and Israeli expertise in the field.
• Haryana is also exploring biotechnology, particularly in the production of micro tubers in potatoes and the introduction of new varieties through tissue culture techniques.

National Horticulture Mission (N H M) of India

• The Finance Minister acknowledged the significance of horticulture in Indian agriculture and launched the National Horticulture Mission during his budget speech on July 8, 2004.
• The horticulture sector comprises various crops, such as fruits, vegetables, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants, flowers, and plantation crops like coconut, areca nut, cashew nut, and cocoa, which have been contributing significantly to the agricultural GDP (28.5% from 8.5% of the area).
• The National Horticulture Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme that provides 100% assistance from the Government of India to the state mission during the year 2005-06. During the XI plan, the government will provide 85% assistance, with the remaining 15% contributed by the State Government.

Objectives

• The aim is to maximize the potential of horticulture in the state and increase production of all horticultural products including fruits, vegetables, flowers, plantation crops, spices, and medicinal aromatic plants.
• The strategy is to provide holistic growth to the horticulture sector by implementing regionally differentiated strategies based on the area.
• The objectives are to increase horticulture production, improve nutritional security and provide income support to farm households, establish convergence and synergy among different ongoing and planned horticulture development programs, and promote and disseminate technologies that combine traditional wisdom and modern scientific knowledge.
• The plan is to create employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers, especially for unemployed youth.
• The National Horticulture Mission will focus on horticultural research, development, post-harvest management, processing, and marketing in order to achieve these goals.

NHM and Haryana

Modus Operandi

• The National Horticulture Mission is being executed through the Haryana State Horticulture Development Agency, which is registered as a Society under the Society Registration Act 1860. The agency is led by the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to the Government of Haryana in the Agriculture Department, who serves as the Chairman, while the Director General of Horticulture acts as the Mission Director.
• The Scheme is being implemented through a delegation of powers granted to the Chairman, Mission Director, and District Horticulture Officers. As the National Horticulture Mission adopts a mission-based approach and involves the release of subsidies under various components, it is crucial to delegate powers effectively to ensure successful implementation of the scheme. Hence, it is recommended that the Director General of Horticulture should be entrusted with renewed delegation of powers in accordance with the NHM.

Scheme Components

• The Scheme includes the same components as prescribed under the NHM, such as nursery development, potato seed development, and demonstrations at both government and farmers' fields. 
• It also covers the expansion of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and spices, as well as the rejuvenation of old orchards, the establishment of community water tanks and ponds, plant protection including IPM and INM, beekeeping, HRD including training, and post-harvest management practices.
• Furthermore, the Scheme seeks to demonstrate the latest technologies available in the market in farmers' fields and government farms. All these components are interrelated and form a holistic approach to the horticulture sector. 
• Subsidies will be provided under each individual component according to the norms of the NHM approved by the Government of India for the year 2014-15.

Pattern of Assistance

• This scheme will follow the guidelines and norms of the National Horticulture Mission, as prescribed by the Government of India and revised accordingly. The assistance percentage available for this scheme ranges from 25% to 100%, depending on the component, and the subsidy amount ranges from Rs. 0.05 lakhs to Rs. 15.00 lakhs.
• However, some components that are not covered under the NHM or existing norms may not be favorable, so new components are proposed to promote greenhouses, shade net houses, and the cultivation of fruit plants like strawberry, papaya, and vegetables like potato, watermelon, and colored capsicum. These new components will receive a subsidy of 50% to 75% assistance.