• To provide virus-free, high-quality planting material to farmers, enhancing the quality, productivity, and sustainability of fruit crops across India.
• Aligns with Mission LiFE and One Health initiatives, promoting sustainable practices and reducing dependence on imported planting materials.

• Virus-Free Planting Material: Ensures availability of high-quality, virus-free planting material.
• All-inclusivity: Accessible to all farmers, with emphasis on women’s participation.
• Region-Specific Approaches: Tailored strategies for diverse agro-climatic conditions across India.

Components

• Clean Plant Centers (CPCs): Nine state-of-the-art CPCs equipped with advanced diagnostics and tissue culture labs will be established across India. These include:

1. Grapes (NRC, Pune)
2. Temperate Fruits (Apple, Almond, Walnuts, etc.): CITH, Srinagar & Mukteshwar
3. Citrus Fruits (CCRI, Nagpur & CIAH, Bikaner)
4. Mango/Guava/Avocado: IIHR, Bengaluru
5. Mango/Guava/Litchi: CISH, Lucknow
6. Pomegranate: NRC, Sholapur
7. Tropical/Sub-Tropical Fruits: Eastern India.

These centers will produce and maintain virus-free planting material for large-scale propagation.

• Certification and Legal Framework: Under the Seeds Act of 1966.
• Nursery Infrastructure: Support for large-scale nurseries to multiply clean planting materials.

• For Farmers: Increased crop yields, improved income opportunities, and economic stability through access to virus-free, high-quality planting materials.
• For Consumers: Access to superior quality, virus-free fruits, resulting in better taste, appearance, and nutritional value.
• For nation: Strengthened position in global fruit trade through the production of higher-quality, disease-free fruits.

PYQ:

[2013] Fruits stored in a cold chamber exhibit longer storage life because:

(a) Exposure to sunlight is prevented

(b) Concentration of carbon dioxide in the environment is increased

(c) Rate of respiration is decreased

(d) There is an increase in humidity

[2018] Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?