Shri Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare visited the ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar.
The Minister applauded the Institute’s efforts for the upliftment of socio-economic status of the farming community. Shri Choudhary accentuated on the production and extension of quality planting material and seed to the farmers of the area.
Since the inception the Institute is involved in generation of basic information identification and development of high yielding varieties and hybrids, efficient cropping systems and appropriate production and protection technologies, post-harvest management, production of quality seeds and planting material, demonstration and transfer of technologies through eight network centres across the country. With the Major Objectives:
To augment the existing germplasm with superior genotypes from indigenous as well as from exotic sources having resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
To devise efficient propagation and cost effective production technologies for increasing productivity and improving quality of temperate horticultural crops including intercropping and cropping systems for orchards.
To develop eco-friendly disease/pest management techniques including mitigation of post harvest spoilage.
To reduce post-harvest and storage losses to minimum level and generate more income through value addition and processing.
To increase foreign exchange earnings through export and to reduce import of items.
Shri Choudhary also urged the youth and farmers of the valley to get benefited from the various schemes implemented by the Government of India to achieve the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling the farmers’ income by the Year - 2022.
He visited the Institute’s experimental fields and Technology Park. During his visit, Shri Choudhary also interacted with the scientists, staff members and farmers.
Dr. D.B. Singh, Director, ICAR-CITH briefed about the new technologies developed by the Institute.
