Nawanshahr: Under the guidelines of the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, under the direction of Defence Services Welfare, Freedom Fighter and Horticulture Minister Mahendra Bhagat, several efforts are being made to implement schemes to increase the income of gardeners and ensure crop diversification, under which the Punjab Government is running various subsidy schemes in the horticulture sector to promote horticulture. 
In this regard, Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman, after reviewing the schemes of the department, informed that farmers need to get out of the traditional crop cycle of wheat-paddy, diversify their agriculture and focus on other profitable crops so that the falling groundwater level and natural resources can be saved. 
The Deputy Commissioner said that in order to promote horticulture and provide technical information, the department is providing subsidy of 40 to 50 percent on various schemes being run by the department such as planting new gardens, cultivation of hybrid vegetables, cultivation of flowers, mushroom production unit, vermicompost unit, establishment of poly house/net house for safe farming and cultivation of flowers and vegetables under this unit, beekeeping, small tractor for gardens, power tiller, spray pump etc. 
Apart from this, a subsidy of Rs 2 lakh at the rate of 50 percent is being provided for preparing pack houses in the field for post-harvest maintenance of flowers and vegetables and a subsidy of 35 percent is being provided on cold stores, ripening chambers, cold rooms, integrated pack houses, refrigerated vans, storage units for onions etc. He said that apart from these existing schemes, some new schemes have been launched by the government, in which, to increase the area under gardens, gardeners will be given 50 percent incentive of Rs. 10,000 per acre for planting new gardens under drip irrigation, up to a maximum of 4,000 square meters on cladding material for changing the sheet of poly house. 
Apart from this, gardeners have the facility of 50 percent subsidy of Rs. 14,000 per acre on crates and cardboard boxes for marketing flowers and vegetables. He appealed to the farmers to take maximum benefit of these schemes so that the horticulture sector can be taken forward. He said that to take advantage of these schemes and for more information, the concerned horticulture officer of the block or the horticulture office of the district can be contacted.