STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Minister for Horticulture, Haj and Auqaf, Abdul Rehman Veeri on Monday visited Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Indian Council of Agricultural Research Centre Rangrath and took stock of the horticulture activities rendered by the institution for promoting high density fruit plants in the State.
Director CITH, Prof. Nazir Ahmad briefed the Minister about various research and developmental programmes of the Institution.
The minister visited experimental field of CITH where Director CITH briefed him about latest developments in temperate horticulture made by the Institute particularly in high density plantation, plant architectural engineering and different training systems in apple, almond, walnut, cherry, peach etc.
The minister was also shown various nursery activities, planting material production, walnut propagation under poly-house and micro-propagation and biotechnology facilities at the centre where experimentations on different aspects of biotechnological interventions like micro-propagation of cloned rootstocks, DNA fingerprinting, quality analysis, virus indexing etc were discussed.
The minister also visited Technology Park where he was briefed on various technologies and varieties developed by CITH for the benefit of farming community.
The minister also chaired a meeting of CITH scientists and experts of Horticulture Department on the occasion. The meeting discussed promotion of high density fruit plants for better crop production in the State.
The minister said that a task force would be constituted for developing model orchards with elite apple varieties on cloned rootstock in each district. He also emphasized the need for formulating a core group comprising scientists and experts from development departments for executing this plan. He asked the scientists to extend their expertise to the orchardists of the State for improving farm productivity and returns.
The minister on the occasion also planted tulip tree in the premises of CITH.
