Novod Out To Promote Sunflower Cultivation

In a bid to enhance oilseeds production in new and non-traditional areas of North India, National Oilseeds and Vegetable Oils Development (Novod) has selected four districts in Himachal Pradesh for the promotion of sunflower cultivation as a spring (zaid) crop.

The sunflower cultivation in these districts will be undertaken using scientific methods like advancing sowing time from February to third week of January and popularisation of duration hybrids including a couple from abroad, maturing within 90-95 days.

Novod board, which has signed VMA Oilseeds and Research Development Institute (VMAORDI), has said the initiative of the board would go a long way in enhancing the oilseeds production in new areas with enormous production capacities in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

 

The new initiative will help achieve the objective of insulating losses from early rains at the time of harvest, which has been affecting the target of oilseeds production in the past, VMAORDI director Gian Singh told PTI.

Under the promotional scheme 1250 farmers would be identified to be participants in one-acre half-field demonstration covering 500 hectares in Sirmur, Solan, Una and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Besides supplying the essential information on the method of cultivation, farmers would also be provided with hybrid seeds.

The farmers selected under the scheme would also be supplied with threshers on subsidy of Rs 5,000. The scheme is being implemented in collaboration with the officers of state department of agriculture, Novod board and Icar.

Novod board has also approved a total of Rs 3.60 lakh for the demonstration programme.

The National Oilseeds and Vegetable Oils Development (Novod) has selected 4 districts in Himachal Pradesh for promoting sunflower cultivation as a spring crop. This will go a long way in enhancing oilseeds production in new areas with enormous production capacities in states like UP, Bihar, Orissa, WB and MP.