Centre tests UT’s apple, grapevine samples under Rs 1,765 cr prog
Will reduce cost production cost, health risk, say fruit growers
Ovaise Gul
Srinagar, May 20: Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture sector is set to receive a major boost under the Government of India’s ambitious Clean Plant Programme (CPP), aimed at providing virus-free and high-quality planting material to fruit growers across the country.
According to the annual report by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture sector, along with other states, is set to receive a major boost under the ambitious Clean Plant Programme (CPP).
Approved by the Union Cabinet on August 9, 2024, with an investment of Rs 1,765.67 crore, the programme seeks to improve productivity, fruit quality and export potential while strengthening sustainability in horticulture.
According to the latest report, released on May 14, 2026, hazard analysis for apple crops is currently underway with 535 samples collected from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab undergoing testing. The exercise is aimed at identifying viruses and virus-like agents affecting apple plantations and laying the foundation for certification and clean plant centres.
The report stated that Jammu and Kashmir was also included in the nationwide grapevine survey conducted by Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutions, including ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute and ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes. A total of 578 grapevine samples from major grape-growing regions, including J&K, were tested, completing the hazard analysis for grapevine crops.
It is being stated that CPP will enable farmers to access certified disease-free planting material, which is expected to improve crop yields, fruit quality and growers’ incomes. The initiative is also expected to strengthen India’s position in international fruit markets.
The government has also launched the beta version of the official CPP portal as a central platform for updates and resources related to the programme. Infrastructure development under the initiative is progressing, with tenders finalised for six Clean Plant Centres (CPCs). Work on the first CPC is expected to become operational by October 2026.
Horticulture remains one of the backbone sectors of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, particularly apple cultivation, which supports lakhs of families across the Valley.
Meanwhile, the Valley fruit growers’ association welcomed the report, stating that this assurance was made by the Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a meeting recently held with them in Srinagar.
President of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union (KVFGCDU), Bashir Ahmad Basheer said that it was the need of the hour and such a programme will end the issue of pesticides and also reduce the health hazard to the growers.
“The programme once implemented in J&K will also help to reduce the production cost to the growers,” he said.