Plan to import planting material from US hits a roadblock

Subhash Rajta

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 9

The Horticulture Department’s plan to import over 9 lakh planting material of temperate fruits from the US has hit a roadblock due to the pandemic. A horticulture team is waiting to leave for the US for pre-dispatch inspection of the planting material, but it hasn’t received the required permissions yet for the trip. “Nurseries we have placed our orders with have the planting material ready, but the team is unable to leave because of the visa/ticketing issues. We have written to the agencies concerned, including the US embassy. Hopefully, we will get the permission soon,” said Horticulture Director JP Sharma.

The visit can’t be delayed for long because the ideal planting time for temperate fruits is from late January to March. In case the arrival of the planting material is delayed beyond the ideal planting period, the mortality rate in the post-entry quarantine facility, where the plants are kept for a year, rises significantly. The department has already burnt its fingers a few years ago when the delivery of planting material from Italy was delayed and as a result lakhs of plants could not survive in higher temperatures. “We don’t want a repeat of the incident. That’s why we are trying to get the material as early as possible,” said Sharma.

What happens if the required permissions do not come in time? “In that case, we will ask some local organisations in the US to inspect the planting materials in the nurseries on our behalf and then get it dispatched,” he said.

The lion’s share of the order comprises rootstocks this time around. “We want to prepare our own planting material to reduce dependence on others. That’s the reason why we are ordering so many rootstocks,” said Sharma. The Director added that planting material from the US was going to cost more than that imported from Italy. “I can’t tell the exact cost at the moment, but it could be anywhere between Rs 700 and Rs 800,” he said.