Horticulture Development in Rajasthan :

Keeping in view the nutrition requirement of fruits, vegetables and spices, medicinal requirement of medicinal plants and religious requirement of flowers, the horticulture sector has come up in a big way to fulfill the basic requirements of human being. Beside this, the horticulture sector has given a satisfaction level to the farmers in the way of earning of more money per unit area and more employment generation. The Horticulture Department is playing the key role in the development of horticulture sector in the State.

Identification of areas where other States have done good works:

The state of Maharastra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana have established the Centre of Excellences on different fruits, vegetables etc. On the same pattern, Department of Horticulture is also establishing 6 Centre of Excellences in the State. However, two more Centre of Excellence on Flowers and Vegetables are still required to be established in the State.

Department is engaged in following activities to promote the horticulture in the State :

1. Increasing the area, production and productivity of various horticultural crops like fruits, vegetables, spices, medicinal crops and flowers.

2. Promotion of water saving devices like drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation system to save the water and earn more money from per drop of water.

3. Promotion of protected cultivation like green house cultivation, shade net house cultivation, low tunnel cultivation etc to increase the productivity level of horticultural crops per unit area and also to produce the exportable quality produce.

4. Promotion of post harvest infrastructure to reduce the post harvest losses at the farm level, during transportation and to avoid glut in the market so that farmers could earn more income from their produce.

5. Production of good quality and disease free planting material of fruits plants so that farmers can grow them with higher level of satisfaction.

6. Establishing the crops wise Centre of Excellence of different horticultural crops so that farmers could be aware of best technology by the means of seeing is believing.

7. Educating farmers through trainings regarding latest technology available in the field of horticulture so that farmers could adopt them and get the maximum production of the crop.

8. Promotion of water saving infrastructure like community farm ponds and individual water harvesting structures so that farmers could collect the run off rain water to further use in the irrigation.

9. Providing quality seeds of vegetables, spices, flowers and medicinal plants to the farmers so that they could be able to grow and produce more yields per unit area.

10. Promotion of alternative source of energy i.e. Solar pumps so that dependency on electricity could be reduced and farmer could be able to irrigate the crops through solar pumps in absence of electricity.

Other issues required to be taken up: Following issues are urgently needed to be addressed:

1. Department of Horticulture is promoting the water saving devices like drip, sprinkler, mini sprinklers etc under the Pradhanmantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (Micro Irrigation) wherein a subsidy level to the tune of 35 % for general farmers and 45 % for the Small and Marginal Farmers is admissible. Keeping in view the very poor availability of water in the state and to efficiently use the available water, it is required to increase the subsidy level to the tune of 70 % for all farmers else the scheme will be adversely affected.

2. Similarly for increasing the productivity level of horticultural crops, green house and shade net house are being promoted under National Horticulture Mission wherein 50% subsidy is admissible. Keeping in view the higher cost involvement in construction of green house and shade net house, an additional subsidy to the tune of 25% is required to be given to the farmers from State Plan.

3. For storing the rain water runoff in the field, a subsidy of Rs. 20.00 lacs is admissible for construction of 100X100X3 mtrs. water storage tank under National Horticulture Mission. If a farmer construct the above water tank with cement concrete and plastic lining, then the cost comes around the double of the provision, therefore it is proposed 16 that an additional subsidy of 50% the provision should be provided for Water harvesting Structures.

4. Three Centers of Excellences on citrus, date palm and pomegranate have been established through the funds of National Horticulture Mission. The funds under NHM are exploited during current financial year. Therefore, for further maintenance of COEs and recurring expenditure, a financial provision of Rs. 50.00 lacs is required to be kept under State Plan from the year 2016-17.

5. Keeping in view the importance of electricity at farm, the alternative source of electricity i.e. solar pump is required to be promoted. For this, the existing level of subsidy i.e. 70% is required to be maintained so that more farmers could be able to use solar power for irrigating the crops.