Minister Negi inspects fruit breeding garden in Mandi
Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi inspected the Fruit Breeding and Demonstration Garden of the Horticulture Department at Samrahan in Kotli subdivision of Mandi district today. He announced for the development of the garden, which was established in the 1970s.
Negi discussed the potential establishment of an HP SHIVA project institute at the site, citing the area’s ample land and water resources suitable for horticulture. He encouraged local farmers to diversify into horticulture alongside traditional agriculture to increase their income.
He revealed plans to develop a 200-bigha cluster under the HP SHIVA project in Samrahan, similar to that in Dhanyara, featuring environment-friendly fruit varieties. The state government is investing in various schemes to enhance horticulture and support farmers’ incomes, with a total budget of Rs 1,200 crore allocated for the sub-tropical regions of Himachal.
“The garden will feature advanced varieties of stone fruits, including almonds, peaches, plums, apricots, walnuts, and Japanese fruit plants, imported from the USA. They will have access to rootstocks, with early availability of grafted plants for varieties like apples,” he added.
During the visit, Negi also addressed local grievances and directed the Public Works Department to repair the Fagla-Samrahan and Fagla-Chhani roads within a week.
