The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Container Corporation of India (Concor) have joined hands to undertake village development programmes in Himachal Pradesh with a focus on apple orchard management. The three-year programme will be undertaken in three phases.
At an event to announce the tie-up here on Monday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said: “I am confident that this project will further complement the efforts of the Government in capacity building of growers and improving the orchard management technology through better irrigation and mechanisation, and will eventually boost the apple economy of the State.”
R.K. Pachauri, Director-General, TERI, highlighted the importance of mountain states such as Himachal pursuing sustainable development practices to improve productivity and quality of produce. “This project can prove to be a game-changer for horticulture in our hill States, and it is hoped that the knowledge and experience from this project can be disseminated on a large scale to other parts of the Himalayan region,” he added. The approach of the programme would be to increase awareness on agricultural issues in the community, identification and allocation of land for construction under the project activities and implementation of activities based on the need of the community.
A TERI statement said the project was significant in light of the basic problems faced by the farmers in the region ranging from scarcity of water, absence of good agricultural practices, absence of technological solutions, ineffective management of apple orchards, and absence of quality training.
About five to seven village clusters have been identified in the State for development as model clusters.
aesha.datta@thehindu.co.in