Plans are afoot to promote cultivation of exotic and indigenous fruit crops in little over 14 hectares in the district under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) in the current fiscal 2021-22.
The horticulture department has readied an action plan to encourage farmers to take up cultivation of various other fruit crops including banana, papaya, mango, citrus, acid lime, guava, pomegranate and custard apple in 111.60 hectares under the Centrally sponsored scheme in the present financial year.
The action plan envisages cultivation of the exotic fruit crop — dragon fruit in six hectares, and the indigenous species — aonla in three hectares, jamun in 2.60 hectares and jackfruit in 2.50 hectares, sources in the horticulture department said.
The department is gearing up to conduct awareness programmes to motivate farmers to grow the indigenous fruit species such as aonla, jamun and jackfruit, known for their high nutritional value, by availing the subsidies under the MIDH to secure sustainable income.
One of the mission objectives is to conserve the indigenous fruit species, sources added.
The department has drawn up an ambitious plan to highlight the benefits of growing indigenous fruit crops like amla and neredu to meet the huge demand for the edible fruits of medicinal and nutritional value.