Arunachal's horticulture policy expected to be ready by September 2024: Minister

Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Gabriel Denwang Wangshu on Tuesday said that a state horticulture policy is being drafted and is expected to be ready by September this year.
   
 Wangshu, who also holds the Horticulture, Diary Development and Fisheries portfolios, said that the horticulture policy was among the 24 major initiatives announced by the Pema Khandu government after returning to power in the state this year.
   
 "The target for framing the state horticulture policy is September this year and drafting of the policy is under process," the minister told reporters here.
    
"One of the objectives of the policy is to provide a roadmap for the state's self-reliance in producing disease-free and high-quality planting materials (QPM) through certified nurseries and plant tissue culture," he said.
    
The comprehensive policy will guide the government's decisions, plans and programmes for achieving the desired output and outcome, Wangsu added.
    
The minister said that the horticulture department is also preparing an action plan for providing incentives to large cardamom farmers for increasing production.
    
He said Arunachal Pradesh is soon expected to become the top producer of large cardamom in the country, replacing Sikkim from the position.

Also Read: Arunachal Pradesh signs agreement to protect vital wetlands
    
Three large cardamom nurseries are being developed at Khonsa in Tirap district, Metengliang in Anjaw and Mariyang in Siang district with technical and financial support from Kozhikode-based Directorate of Arecanut and Spice Development (DASD) and the Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Ministry.
    
He said the government has taken steps to address the issue of quality planting materials in the state.
   
"The department has established the Kiwi Research & Development Centre (KRDC) at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district and Orange Research & Development Centre (ORDC) at Balek in Lower Dibang Valley district under the State Horticulture Research and Development Institute (SHRDI)," he said.
    
A plant tissue culture laboratory at the state horticulture farm at Shergaon in West Kameng district is at an advanced stage of completion. The facility will enable bulk production of disease-free quality planting materials within a short period, the minister said.
    
A post-entry quarantine (PEQ) facility for horticulture plants has been established under the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH) regional station at Dirang in West Kameng district, Wangsu said.
    
This facility will be useful for regulating the phytosanitary standards of temperate plants imported into the state by ensuring pest and disease-free planting materials, he added.