National Horticulture Mission (NHM) is the sub-department & scheme of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) Known as State Horticulture Missions (SHM) in selected States and Union Territories.
National Horticulture Mission (NHM) was launched in the year 2005-06. State Government Provides additional contribution under National Horticulture Mission in central government contribution Scheme. Now NHM is considered as part of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). For availing of benefits and assistance under the scheme, farmers/beneficiaries should contact the Horticulture Officer of the concerned state. There are state-wise different guidelines and schemes.
NHM recognizes the importance of the horticulture sector in the growth of Indian Agriculture, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the growth in the horticulture sector. It includes fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa, and bamboo farming. The main Office of NHM is located in New Delhi.
NHM Objectives
To increase the growth in the horticulture sector by various methods like post-harvest management, research, and development, technology, marketing, etc.
- To create awareness for the horticulture sector in youth and to generate employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled people.
- To develop new and modern scientific technologies with knowledge of horticulture.
- To improve horticulture production to double the income of farmers and to enhance the nutritional security of crops.
- To increase and to provide growth in the horticulture sector based on different strategies.
- To establish synergy and convergence among multiple planned and ongoing programs for the horticulture sector.
NHM Strategy
- Improve post-harvest management, processing for value addition, and marketing infrastructure strategy.
- Promote R&D technologies for cultivation, production, post-harvest management.
- Adopt a coordinated approach and promote partnership, convergence, and synergy among R&D, processing, and marketing agencies in public as well as private sectors, at the national, regional, state, and sub-state levels.
- Support capacity-building and Human Resource Development at all levels, including, change in syllabus and curriculum of graduate courses at Colleges, Universities, ITIs, and Polytechnics.
- Ensuring end-to-end support in the production, post-harvest management, and marketing also.
- Helps in the set-up of post-harvest facilities like cold storage, Packhouse, processing units, and value addition.
Components Of NHM
- Post-harvest management and Marketing
- Protected cultivation
- Organic farming
- Pollination support through Beekeeping
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) / Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)
- Development and Infrastructure
NHM Interventions
As we can the demand for technology is increasing day by day. Technology has a very important role in different interventions. Technologies like Remote sensing, Information communication technology (ICT) are used for planning and monitoring purposes. It includes facilities for post-harvest management, markets, and production forecasts. The interventions are designed for achieving desired goals with a focus on the potential crops.
Research and Development (R&D)
The programs of horticulture research will concentrate on technology generation keeping in mind Agri-climatic conditions. Programs on horticulture and bamboo R & D will be based on applied research in the areas of Seed& Planting Material, including import of planting Technology standardization and Technology acquisition. The Indian Council of Agricultural research, the council of scientific and Industrial Research, and other research institutes/organizations in the public and private sectors identify the area that will be partners in research programs.
Production and Productivity Improvement
The NHM is focusing on how to increase production and productivity for the adoption of improved technologies for ensuring the quality of horticulture crops. Availability of good quality materials will receive more attention. Efforts will be made to establish to upgrade nursery in the form of infrastructure. Under improved varieties, this will be supplemented through developmental programs and also with the addition of new areas. For an aggregation of farmers, the cluster of approaches will help into FPOs/FPCs.
Production and Distribution of planting material
Production and distribution of planting material and good quality seeds have high demand. It is established through state or central assistance. The assistant will provide all the information related to setting up the nurseries in the public and private sectors.
For the Hi-tech nurseries, it will have an area between1 to 4 ha with a capacity to produce 50,000 plants per ha fruit crops/aromatic trees/plantation crops per year. It will provide services like –
1. Net house and Irrigation facilities.
2. insect-proof netting on sides and fogging and misting systems.
3. Hardening and maintenance in an insect-proof net house with light screening properties and sprinkler irrigation system.
4. Soil solarization – steam sterilization system with boilers.
5. With the help of a pump house we will be able to provide irrigation and water to crops.
Small nurseries with an area of up to 1.00 ha, will have provision for Naturally Ventilated Greenhouse and net-house and small nurseries will produce 25,000 plants of the vegetatively propagated fruit plants, plantation crops, and aromatic plants per year. NHB will take projects for setting rootstock nursery and mother block nursery with 100% assistance in the public sector.
Tissue Culture Units
New units of Tissue Culture (TC) will be established and assistance will be provided for rehabilitation and strengthening of new TC Units.
Each TC unit would get itself accredited as per standards and norms of the Department of Bio-Technology within eighteen months from the date of receiving funds, failing which the assistance provided under the scheme will have to be returned.
Vegetable Seed Production
For vegetable seed production the estimated cost is Rs 35,000 per ha for open Pollinated crops and for hybrid vegetable seeds it costs Rs 1.05 lakh per ha.
Assistance will be provided 100% of the cost in the public sector and in the private sector assistance will be of 50% of the cost as credit link back-ended subsidy. A special kind of trust is generated to promote the horticultural products. National Cooperative Development, Agriculture, Marketing and Inspection and development authority will be involved in this process.
Establishment of New Gardens
For this method, farmers will receive assistance per crop. For the cultivation, purpose assistance will be provided to farmers for 3 years. Cost of raising and new plantations vary from crop to crop which will be taken into consideration while providing assistance to the beneficiary.
Seed Infrastructure
For proper handling, storage, and packaging of seeds, assistance will be provided for creating infrastructures like drying platforms, storage bins, packaging units, and related equipment. In This infrastructure public sector will be provided with 100% assistance, as in the private sector assistance will of 50 as a credit link back-ended subsidy.
Mushroom Production
In this case, assistance will be provided with the full setup of individual mushroom production and other compost-making units.
How to Contact NHM National Horticulture Mission Office
Main Department is
Horticulture Division
Department of Agriculture & Cooperation
Ministry of Agriculture, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi
www.midh.gov.in
Click Here for Head Quoter Contact Details
For NHM, HMNEH, and NBM, State Level Executive Committee(s) (SLEC) under Chairmanship of Agricultural
Production Commissioner or Principal Secretary Horticulture/Agriculture/Environment & Forests.
Click here to Find State & District working under NHM
At the District level, District Mission Committee (DMC) will be responsible for carrying forward the objectives
of the Mission for project formulation, implementation, and monitoring.
There are State-Wise Different Websites for NHM Scheme Guidelines.
You can also contact the local agriculture services provider for more details about NHM & NHB Scheme. Vagad Agro Service is a leading manufacturer of Protected Cultivation Structure and provides services of setup and installation of different types of protected structures like Shade Nethouse, Polyhouse, Poly Tunnel House, etc under the scheme of NHM.
Kalpesh Pathak
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