The stage is set for the country’s biggest horticultural fair with the four-day National Horticultural Fair, being organised by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), set to begin on Wednesday at the institute’s Hessarghatta campus on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The institute is expecting about 50,000 farmers from various States of the country, as it has either some technology or crop variety relevant for all agro climatic zones of the country.
Farming as enterprise
As ‘Making farming an enterprise’ is the theme of this year’s fair, special focus has been given to showcasing technologies, crop varieties and management practices that can turn farming into a sustainable as well as a profitable venture, say scientists of IIHR.
Eight of the technologies developed by the IIHR have been contributing a revenue of ₹13,220 crore to the nation’s economy on an annual basis, according to Institute Director Dr. M.R. Dinesh.
Of this, a lion’s share is by Dogridge rootstock of grapes, which contributes ₹6,250 crore to the economy every year. Spread over one lakh hectares, it accounts for 90% of the country’s grape cultivation area.
Bio-pesticide formulations of the institute and foliar nutrient formulations too contribute to the economy. The pheromone trap adopted in mango orchards, Arka Prajwal variety of tuberose and Arka Microbial Consortium too are contributing significantly to the national economy, he added. The fail will have over 200 exhibition stalls on various aspects of horticulture. It will showcase technologies and concepts related to protected cultivation as part of efforts to woo youth to horticultural activity by making it a profitable venture.
Other technologies include those related to cultivation and processing of vegetables, fruits, medicinal & aromatic plants, spices, plantation crops and mushroom varieties.
The fair will be held from February 5 to 8. It will try to bring horticultural entrepreneurs, including nurserymen, farmers and consumers, on a common platform, point out scientists of the institute.
It will also have something for urbanites in the form of a one-day scientific workshop on urban gardening that covers all the aspects related to urban/terrace gardening that will be held on all the five days of the fair.