"The Horticulture Department needs to make a big push for popularising high-quality fruit plants to enhance export of fruits from the state. Our orchards need a complete makeover so that both crop yield and quality of fruit match standard benchmarks," Sayeed said here.
The Chief Minister said this while chairing a high-level meeting of the department.
Sayeed emphasised upon introduction of weather-based crop insurance scheme for all fruits, in particular apple in the wake of damage suffered by the horticulture sector in last year's floods.
He directed the Horticulture Department to expedite the modalities for providing insurance cover to the fruit growers, who remain vulnerable to weather vagaries.
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The chief minister stressed upon import of high-density fruit plants from Europe for propagation and directed the department to ensure that disease-free plants are provided to fruit growers, only after those are quarantined and scientifically vegetated in the government nurseries.
He asked the department to focus on use of best practices and latest technologies in improving quality and yield of fruits.