Hoshiarpur- Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain today visited Citrus Estate and FAPRO, Bhunga and stressed the need for crop diversification and called upon farmers to adopt horticulture on a large scale as per the demand of the time. Taking stock of the arrangements of Kinnow grading and waxing unit, agricultural equipment made available to farmers on rent, specially prepared organic fertilizers and agricultural medicines for farmers in Citrus Estate, Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain said that farmers should take maximum cooperation from the experts of Citrus Estate for cultivation of vegetables and fruits.
She said that farmers cultivating fruits and vegetables through Citrus Estate can get a lot of help in modern technology, required amount of fertilizers as well as proper marketing of their produce. While briefing the Deputy Commissioner about the Citrus Estate in the field of horticulture, Chairman-cum-CEO Dr. Jaspal Singh Dheri said that about 1400 farmers are associated with this unit, who are getting the expected benefits directly or indirectly from time to time.
He said that by adopting horticulture, farmers can save natural water resources through drip irrigation. Dr. Dheri said that during this season, the estate has done grading and waxing of about 1000 tonnes of Kinnow, which will increase further in the coming time. He said that there are unlimited possibilities of groundnut cultivation in the district.
Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain, while interacting with the farmers present on the spot, said that the Punjab Government has proposed new initiatives during the financial year 2025-26 to further promote horticulture, which also includes Hoshiarpur district.
He said that the Punjab Government has initiated awareness programmes on horticulture, formation of clusters, Krishi Sakhi assistance, input resource centres, certification, training and starter kits etc. which would greatly benefit the farmers/cultivators engaged in horticulture profession. He said that groundnut cultivation would also be promoted in the district.