MIDH Approves 3 Centers of Excellence for Horticultural Crops in Odisha, Goa & Karnataka

These CoEs are also used as a source of planting material for fruit and vegetable seedlings for protected cultivation, as well as for the transfer of technology and know-how in a variety of areas, such as post-harvest management, irrigation, and fertilization, plant protection, the introduction of new varieties, pollination, and so on.

Till now, the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has approved 49 CoEs, three of which were approved on March 9, 2023: CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) by Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, Karnataka at the Hirehalli Experimental Station, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

CoE for Mango and Vegetables in Panikoili, Jajpur District, Odisha, as part of the Indo-Israel Action Plan. CoE for Vegetables and Flowers at Govt. Agricultural Farm, Codar, Khandepar, Ponda, South Goa, Goa, under the Indo-Israel Action Plan.

CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) at Bengaluru, Karnataka: The vision of this Center is to develop cutting-edge production technology that meets international standards, as well as off-season production, and to demonstrate these technologies for high-yield production. The Center will strive for self-sufficiency in Kamlam fruit production, value addition, and economic development of the farming community.

The Center will concentrate on developing high-performance varieties with improved yield, nutrient use efficiency, nutritional quality, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Standardization of propagation techniques, distribution of quality planting material through a public participatory approach, development of protocols for post-harvest handling and storage to reduce post-harvest losses and promote export to distant markets, development of value-added products and processes for product diversification and higher revenue realization, dissemination of developed technologies to farmers and other stakeholders through training, field visits, and e-learning.

CoE for Mango and Vegetables at Jajpur, Odisha: The Center's vision is to generate knowledge in nursery management, cultivation practices, and the production of high quality and large quantities of planting material for mango and vegetable crops.

The Center will also showcase new varieties, Israeli Agro technology in irrigation, fertigation, and plant protection, as well as precision agriculture and post-harvest management technology. For the benefit of farmers, the Centre will develop a training model based on focused areas such as irrigation, fertigation, nursery, canopy, and value chain.

CoE for Vegetables and Flowers at Ponda, Goa: The Center will demonstrate a high-tech nursery management system with advanced production technology via an automated irrigation and fertigation system for the production of disease-free and healthy vegetable seedlings of improved varieties of vegetables and flowers suitable for Goa. In addition, the Centre will strengthen infrastructure for the promotion of pre- and post-harvest management of quality produce, as well as develop protocols/guidelines tailored to local conditions in the CoE and farmer's field.