1. Rabi Campaign 2015 Group VI Promotion of Horticulture

2. Issues  Onion :  Prospective area increase in Rabi onion  Potato:  Expected higher area and production in Rabi potato  Expected lower price during Oct-Nov  Hybrid Vegetable Seeds:  Exorbitant prices of hybrid seeds  Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)  National Agriculture Market (NAM)

3. Issues  Sharing pattern & Release of funds  PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop) – Implementation pattern  Protected structures technologies  More budgetary support under RKVY for Hort. sector.  Area & production estimation of horticulture crops

4. ISSUESSuggestions  Onion :  Prospective area increase in Rabi onion  To ensure rabi seed availability  To develop dark red varieties  Promotion of hybrid varieties  To promote on farm onion storage structures  To intervene by procuring onion produce during April/May (harvest period) by state agencies under Price Stabilization Fund (PSF)  To develop the possibilities of temperature/humidity controlled onion storage for larger volume  Potato:  Expected higher area and production in Rabi potato  Expected lower price during Oct-Nov  National Portal for Market Intelligence  To facilitate inter state trading  To promote Alternate cropping pattern  State Agriculture Universities to take up breeder seed production  Promotion of potato based processing units

5. ISSUESSuggestions  Hybrid Vegetable Seeds:  Exorbitant prices of hybrid seeds  To facilitate high level meeting with DSIR, ICAR Institutions and hybrid producing companies to control the prices  To recommend large number of hybrids for different agro climatic conditions by ICAR/SAUs  Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)  Infrastructure based projects may be exempted from DBT for current year  10% additional assistance for S&MF  National Agriculture Market (NAM)  Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) may also be included in the ambit of NAM  Sharing pattern & Release of funds  Timely release of funds

6. ISSUESSuggestions PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop) – Implementation pattern  Horticulture Department may be assigned the implementing agency for PDMC Protected structures technologies  To initiate R&D by ICAR/SAUs  More budgetary support under RKVY for Hort. sector.  Budget allocation as per horticulture gross value output  Area & production estimation of horticulture crops  GOI may consider to implement a new scheme for area and production estimation of horticulture crop

7. Nursery raising using protray method with single bud rhizomes Screening of diseased seed/seedling possible. Reduced seed rate requirement. Low cost of cultivation

8. Aeroponics- Potato Seed Production Plants are grown in troughs, tubes or other type of chambers Roots are hanged in space and are periodically bathed in nutrient mist Easily absorb nutrients Easily absorb oxygen Less chance of root zone diseases

9. Long day Onion varieties Uttarakhand, HP, J&K. 500 ha each state Sown : October-November Transplanting: February Harvesting: July Production: 20000 metric ton Sufficient seed not available Brown Spanish and VL 3 Storage structures not available Sufficient seed not available Brown Spanish and VL 3 Storage structures not available

10. 2014-15: 2081 storage structures created (Maharshtra, Rajashthan, Karnataka, MP = 80%)

11. Protected structures Greenhouses a) Climate controlled b) Semi-climate controlled c) Naturally ventilated d) Raised arch Net-houses: a) Insect-proof nets b) Shade nets Other Temporary structures a) Walk-in-tunnels b) Plastic Low tunnels c) Plastic mulches