ADB-funded project for Kutlehar farmers: Agriculture Minister Virender Kanwar

Our Correspondent

UNA, JANUARY 10

The HP Sub-Tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (HP SHIVA) project will be implemented on 5,000 kanals of land in Kutlehar where farmers have either stopped cultivating due to wild animals or where horticulture is not in practice. This was disclosed by Agriculture Minister Virender Kanwar while addressing a seminar for farmers on micro irrigation at Mandli village of the segment.

A sum of Rs 1,000 crores, funded by the Asian Development Bank, will be spent in the first phase of the project, which will begin in 2023 and culminate in 2029. The project aims at giving a boost to the plantation of sub-tropical fruits like orange, litchi, pomegranate and guava in lower regions of the state.

Drip irrigation and electric wire fencing will be provided to the farmers.

Kanwar said the Horticulture Department has formed 17 clusters covering an area of 170 hectare for ultrahigh density plantation of selected fruits in four districts of the state initially, which will later be extended to seven districts. He said the farmers of upper Himachal have good income from fruits like apple.

The minister said two front line demonstration plots have been set up under the project in Bangana for cultivation techniques of pomegranate and guava. Expressing the need to save water, he said a water harvesting structure to irrigate 5000 kanals of land is ready in Samoor village, while another check dam in Chaploh village was also complete.