The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $98 million loan to improve horticulture crop farmers' access to certified disease-free planting materials, which will boost their crops' yield, quality, and resilience to climate impacts.
The project will roll out a clean plant certification scheme, accrediting private nurseries, and testing and certifying their planting materials. It will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare through the National Horticulture Board and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
The signatories to the loan agreement for the Building India's Clean Plant Programme were Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Kai Wei Yeo Officer-in-Charge of ADB's India Resident Mission, for ADB. After signing the agreement, Mukherjee stated that the ADB funding will promote plant health which is vital for improving the productivity of farmers.
"The project supports the Government of India's Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme (CPP) and enhances plant health management. It will help develop a regulatory framework and institutional systems to effectively implement the CPP for horticulture in India. The project will involve close consultation with private nurseries, researchers, state governments, and growers' associations to ensure its success and sustainability," said Yeo.
Read more at Agro Spectrum