The Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Department has introduced six new varieties of mangoes that can be cultivated in a high-density format, allowing farmers to plant up to 44 mango plants per kanal of land. The crop will be ready in September and will offer a new taste for mango lovers.
The project is part of the World Bank-sponsored Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project, which has allocated Rs 1293 crore to the State Horticulture Department. The department has set up a garden of 605 plants with six new varieties of mangoes covering around 13 kanal of land at the Fruit Breeding and Demonstration Center in Jachch (Nurpur). The new varieties include Pusa Arunima, Pusa Lalima, Pusa Surya, Pusa Shrestha, Mallika, and Chaunsa.
2500 plants of these varieties have already been prepared and will be provided to farmers doing horticulture in clusters. The department has also set a target of preparing 30,000 saplings of other fruits such as mango, litchi, kinnu, galgal, papaya, and jackfruit.
The department has employed people registered under MNREGA in the center to provide employment and technical knowledge to the people of rural areas about horticulture.
The new high-density horticulture method allows farmers to increase their productivity and earn more profit from their limited land. These hybrid varieties of mango will be vermilion and red in color, which will be ready in September, providing a competitive edge to Himachal’s farmers and gardeners in the market.
Dr. Kamalsheel Negi, Deputy Director, Department of Horticulture, said that the department also organizes training courses from time to time for the farmers to do horticulture in a modern and scientific way. The gardeners of the state are encouraged to visit the demonstration center to learn the tricks of gardening in a modern and scientific way.
