Explanation:

Centre of Excellence for Vegetables (IIP) was inaugurated at Gharaunda, Karnal, Haryana. It is an Indo-Israel Project, established to provide farming support to the farmers. Centre encourages farmers to take up protected farming with walk-in-tunnels as well as low tunnels in order to grow off-season vegetables and earn higher profits.

Walk-in-Tunnel (WIT) farming is done in the field where farmers transplant the high value vegetable saplings. WITs are protected structures with 2.5 to 4.0 meter heights. They are made of GI steel pipes and covered with 200 microns UV poly sheets to give protection against insect-pest and adverse climatic conditions. The production increase from 5 – 6 times as compare to open field situations with superior quality. The above said technology is supported by Department of Horticulture under National Horticulture Mission. Subsidy is given to the farmers subject to their respective state. Haryana State provides 65% subsidy. These structures are manufactured and installed by companies like Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. and Netafim India Pvt. Ltd. etc. The cost of installation of WITs is Rs. 600 per sqm. The life such structures is approximate 15 years.