The Centre has approved an annual action plan of Rs 109.29 crore under Haryana State Horticulture Mission for 2017-18 fiscal, including state share and spillover activities. "Besides, the Haryana government has approved Rs 6.95 crore as 15 per cent extra state share for the release of assistance to the beneficiaries of protected structures," Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Abhilaksh Likhi, said here today

Chandigarh: The Centre has approved an annual action plan of Rs 109.29 crore under Haryana State Horticulture Mission for 2017-18 fiscal, including state share and spillover activities.     "Besides, the Haryana government has approved Rs 6.95 crore as 15 per cent extra state share for the release of assistance to the beneficiaries of protected structures," Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Abhilaksh Likhi, said here today.     He said while the Centre had released the first instalment of funds amounting to Rs 50 crore, the state finance department had released Rs 6.90 crore as extra state share.     Major focus under the mission in 2017-18 would be on protected cultivation, hybrid tomato production, water creation resources, establishment of new gardens, seed production programme, mushroom production, pollination support through bee-keeping, training of farmers and development of Integrated Post Harvest Management Infrastructure.     Likhi said in 2016-17, the mission had an annual budget outlay of Rs 103.06 crore with spillover activities outlay of Rs 8.21 crore.     Of this, total release for Integrated Development of Horticulture, including Central and State shares, was Rs 99.25 crore, with additional 15 per cent state share on protected structures amounting to Rs 20.73 crore.     Total funds available under the mission in 2016-17 amounted to Rs 121.00 crore.     He said the major focus of the mission was on seed infrastructure, cultivation of hybrid vegetables, promotion of mushroom production, creation of water resources and protected cultivation.     It also focused on establishment of centres of excellence for Horticulture at Hodal in district Palwal and at Sunderah in Narnaul, he said. PTI