Patna. Bihar government has announced a new scheme for farmers, which will promote mango cultivation in the district. Under the Integrated Horticulture Mission, farmers wishing to plant mango orchards on private land will be provided saplings free of cost and will also be given financial assistance for their maintenance.
This year, a target has been set to plant a mango orchard on 10 hectares of land in the district. According to the scheme, any farmer can plant a mango orchard on land ranging from a minimum of eight acres to a maximum of two hectares. The estimated cost of plantation on one hectare is around Rs 2 lakh, out of which the government will provide a grant of 40 percent i.e. Rs 80,000.
The grant will be given in two installments. 60 percent (Rs 48,000) will be provided in the first installment and the remaining 40 percent (Rs 32,000) will be provided in the second installment. The second installment will be released only when at least 80 percent of the plants planted in the garden are found safe.
Saplings of five improved varieties – Maldah, Bambaiya, Gulab Khas, Amrapali and Mallika – will be made available to the farmers selected by the Horticulture Department. 400 plants will be planted in each hectare. The cost of the plants as per government rates will be deducted from the first installment, and the remaining amount will be transferred to the farmers’ account so that they can bear the expenses related to irrigation, fertiliser, safety net and other care.
Women farmers have been given special priority in this scheme. 30 percent of the total target has been reserved for women farmers, which will empower them economically as well as provide them an opportunity to move forward in the field of fruit production.
To avail the benefits of the scheme, farmers will have to apply online on the portal of the Horticulture Department. It is mandatory to upload a copy of LPC or land receipt, identity card, Aadhar card, passport size photograph and bank passbook along with the application.
District Agriculture Officer Tripurari Sharma said that under the fourth agricultural road map, special emphasis is being laid on promoting fruit production in the district. He appealed to the farmers that interested farmers should apply online on time with necessary documents. Through this initiative, not only will the economic condition of the farmers be strengthened, but they will also get a permanent source of long-term income.
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