Horticulture deptt highlights schemes to unemployed youth

Srinagar, May 15: As part of G20 Summit, the Horticulture Department Kashmir has started many programs through which youth are being encouraged to take part in entrepreneurship schemes of the department, officials said.
Subject Matter Specialist, Directorate of Horticulture Kashmir, Mohd Amin Bhat said the department is highlighting many economic viable schemes to both educated and uneducated youth who are unemployed as part of the G20 Summit.
One of the schemes of the department is the High Density Plantation Scheme for the development of high-density apple orchards in the valley.
“In high-density plantations one kanal of land can generate a minimum income of one lakh. Now youth are taking the benefit of the scheme and scripting success,” he said.
The high-density plantation is a new way of planting the maximum possible number of plants per unit area of land to get maximum crop yield and profit per unit.
The apple growers in Kashmir also have an interest in setting up high-density orchards. High-density apple orchards have a good potential of producing an early and good amount of quality apples with less labor and expenditure.
As per officials over the past several years, the high-density apples are massively grown in Kashmir and people are also getting good benefits. The popular varieties include Gala Red, Schinco Red, Jeromnie, Red Chief, Red Velox, Scarlet, Red Lump, Red Chip, Fauji Apple etc.
The Subject Matter Specialist said the department also highlights the Minimal Processing Units scheme under which youth have started their units have in many areas of Kashmir like Pulwama, Anantnag and Budgam.
“Under this scheme, youth get 13 lakh subsidy out of the 25 lakh project and this scheme would help in employment generation and youth will become job providers,” he said.
Bhat said they are also training women who are interested in entrepreneurship under this scheme so that they can set up their own ventures and become independent.
Another scheme is high-density nursery under the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan which is integrated with High Density Plantation. Under this scheme apple fruit plantation of nurseries is done through private entrepreneurs as a regular scheme under Capex Budget.
He said that the scheme is aimed to develop plants of high-density apple varieties locally which will help the local farmers.
“Currently, if we get high-density plants from outside, these need to be quarantined for some time. But once we develop it locally, farmers don’t need to go through that exhaustive process. It is aimed at the development of high-density apple nurseries in the valley,” he said.
The Subject Matter Specialist said it encourages nursery growers by providing them with genuine rootstock, available with the department at subsidized rates or providing them incentive for import of rootstock.
He said under high-density nursery the horticulture department has targeted to cover 5005 hectares of land which require 1.5 crore plants.
“We are highlighting those schemes which are economy generating, are economically viable for the employed youth and generating employment,” he said.
J&K is blessed with a diverse climate suitable for cultivation of a number of fruit crops. Horticulture is an age-old enterprise but commercial horticulture has been of recent origin.
The horticulture sector contributes around 10 percent towards UT GDP with more than 10000 Crore annual returns. There are 7.5 lakh farming families (35 lakh souls) directly or indirectly linked to this important sector.