Punjab CM Approves Horticulture Centre at PAU with JICA

Chandigarh, Sep 2 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday approved the setting up of a Horticulture Knowledge Centre at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The move is part of a Rs 1,300-crore project aimed at expanding high-value horticulture, strengthening the sector's value chain and boosting farmers' income, with Punjab setting an ambitious target of increasing the horticulture area to 16 lakh hectares by 2036.

Chairing a meeting to review the horticulture department, Mann said, "The main motive of the project is to promote horticultural crops through area expansion and stronger value chain infrastructure. It will enhance farmers' income by diversifying into high-value horticultural crops and promote sustainable agricultural practices that improve soil health and conserve water."

Mann stated, "Punjab currently has a net sown area of 41.25 lakh hectares, of which 5.27 lakh hectares is under horticulture, with a production of 106.10 lakh metric tonnes."

Fruit, vegetables, spices and aromatics, flowers and others cover the major section of the horticulture produce in the state. Major fruits are Kinnow and guava, while major vegetables are potatoes and peas.

Other activities include beekeeping and mushroom production, he said.


A Rs 1,300-crore project has been approved with support from JICA with the sole aim to diversify horticulture and increase farmers' income.

The project envisages investments in machinery, infrastructure, marketing, seeds and research, with the target of increasing the area under horticulture to 16 lakh hectares by 2036, representing an increase of nearly 300 per cent from the present level, he said.

The prime focus will be the development of a sustainable horticulture value chain, area expansion and farmer incentives to promote diversification and improvement of nurseries with high-quality planting material.

Thrust will also be laid on the development of post-harvest management infrastructure, improvement of market access, strengthening extension services, strengthening of the technical support system and other interventions, he said.

The Horticulture Knowledge Centre at PAU is envisaged as an important component of the broader initiative, providing institutional support for research, technical knowledge, capacity building and the adoption of improved horticultural practices, he said.

The initiative is expected to strengthen the entire horticulture ecosystem, from quality planting material and cultivation to post-harvest management, marketing and market access, thereby creating better economic opportunities for farmers while encouraging sustainable agricultural practices, he said.