How Centre’s Clean Plant Programme Plans to Boost Production of Fruits

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in the News?
• About Clean Plant Programme
• Implementation of CPP
• What is the Need for CPP?

Why in the News?

• The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the Clean Plant Programme (CPP), aimed at increasing the yield and productivity of horticulture crops in India.

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About Clean Plant Programme

• The Clean Plant Programme (CPP) is an initiative by the Indian Government aimed at boosting the availability of disease-free and high-quality planting material for horticultural crops, such as fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
• It was first announced in Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s interim Budget speech in February 2023.
• The program’s primary focus is to enhance the productivity and quality of horticultural produce by ensuring that farmers have access to certified, disease-free planting material, which can significantly reduce crop losses and improve yields.
• The Ministry of Agriculture has sought an allocation of Rs 1,765 crore for the programme.
  • One half of this will be sourced from the budget of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), while the other half will be in the form of a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Implementation of CPP

• The programme consists of three key components designed to help farmers access virus-free, high-quality planting material for vegetative propagation, aimed at boosting crop yields and enhancing income opportunities:
• Establishment of Nine Clean Plant Centers (CPCs): These centres will offer disease diagnostics and treatments, develop mother plants for nurseries, and quarantine all domestic and imported planting materials intended for commercial propagation and distribution.
• Infrastructure Development: This includes setting up large-scale nurseries to efficiently multiply clean planting material. The mother plants produced by the CPCs will be propagated in these nurseries and then distributed to farmers.
• Regulatory and Certification Framework: A robust regulatory and certification process will be created to ensure complete accountability and traceability in the production and distribution of planting material.

What is the Need for CPP?

• India, the world’s second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables after China, has seen significant growth in horticulture over the past decade.
• From 2013-14 to 2023-24, the area under horticulture crops expanded from 24 million hectares to 28.63 million hectares, with production rising from 277.4 million metric tonnes to 352 million metric tonnes.
• India is also a significant player in the global fruit market, both as an importer and exporter.
• In the financial year 2023-24, India exported fresh fruits worth $1.15 billion and imported fruits valued at $2.73 billion.
• With increasing domestic consumption, there has been a growing demand for planting materials of foreign apples and exotic fruits like avocados and blueberries.
• Between 2018-20, the import of planting materials saw a substantial rise, with apple plant imports increasing from 21.44 lakh in 2018 to 49.57 lakh in 2020.
• Avocado plant imports surged from 1,000 to 26,500, and blueberry plant imports grew from 1.55 lakh to 4.35 lakh during the same period.
• Currently, the import process for plants is lengthy, requiring a two-year quarantine period.
• The introduction of Clean Plant Centers (CPCs) aims to reduce this quarantine period to six months, making it easier for farmers to access disease-free and authentic planting material.

The CPCs are modelled after successful projects in countries like the US, Israel, and the Netherlands.

Q1. What do you mean by Horticulture?

Horticulture is defined as that branch of agriculture concerned with growing plants that are used by people for food, for medicinal purposes, and for aesthetic gratification.

Q2. What is the difference between Horticulture and Olericulture?

Horticulture is the process of maintaining and developing a garden whereas Olericulture is the process of production, processing and storage of vegetables and fruits.

Source: How Centre’s Clean Plant Programme plans to boost production of fruits