The Haryana government has introduced a scheme offering financial assistance to farmers cultivating horticultural crops, with subsidies available for new fruit orchards as well as vegetables, flowers, spices and aromatic plants.
Under the ‘Subsidy Provision for Cultivation of Horticultural Crops’ scheme, the government aims to encourage horticulture and help increase farmers’ income. For new orchards, farmers will receive between ₹24,500 and ₹1.40 lakh per acre, depending on the crop and applicable component. The assistance is available for establishing new fruit orchards.
Support for vegetables and other crops
For vegetable cultivation, farmers from the general category will receive a subsidy of ₹15,000 per acre, while those belonging to the Scheduled Caste category will receive ₹25,500 per acre.
The vegetable subsidy will be available only when farmers adopt integrated cultivation models incorporating practices such as mulching, low tunnels, drip irrigation or bamboo staking.
The scheme also provides ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 per acre for spice cultivation, ₹8,000 to ₹40,000 per acre for flower cultivation and ₹8,000 per acre for aromatic plants.
Recent Haryana horticulture guidelines also provide for assistance for seasonal vegetable, spice, flower and aromatic crops, with eligibility extending to certain tenants and leaseholders subject to prescribed conditions.
Subsidy to be transferred directly to bank accounts
The government said the subsidy amount will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers to ensure transparency in the distribution of funds.
Farmers seeking assistance are required to register under the state's agricultural and horticulture systems. Recent information on the scheme says registration on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ and Hortnet platforms is required, along with details such as the farmer's Parivar Pehchan Patra and bank account. Scheduled Caste beneficiaries may also be required to submit their caste certificate.
The horticulture subsidy is part of a wider set of measures being implemented by Haryana to promote crop diversification and horticulture. The state is also providing assistance for drip irrigation and fruit orchards, while its horticulture programmes include support for protected cultivation and vertical farming.
The state has separately implemented the Mukhyamantri Bagwani Bima Yojana to provide insurance cover for horticultural crops against losses caused by adverse weather and natural calamities. Under that scheme, vegetables and spices can receive compensation of up to ₹30,000 per acre and fruits up to ₹40,000 per acre, subject to the prescribed conditions.