Uttarakhand to boost walnut production

Dehradun, January 20

In order to increase walnut production, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has directed the officials concerned to implement the walnut panchayat yojna in the state.

He chaired a meeting with the officials here yesterday.

The cluster-oriented scheme will be initiated at the panchayat-level for individuals and groups, separately. Two nurseries will be developed soon at Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

The ambitious scheme proposed by the Chief Minister will be implemented under the national horticulture mission and a sub-mission will be introduced for the success of the scheme.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to form a walnut development board for promoting walnut production in the state.

He said the scheme would be taken up with zeal, so that farmers were able to earn their livelihood. The farmers would also be provided with high quality saplings of the dry fruit from Jammu and Kashmir and outside the country.

He said the farmers interested in the scheme would also be given financial assistance as part of the promotion of the scheme. He also assured that the state government would link the dry fruit growers with the agriculture markets under the scheme.

Horticulture Secretary Nidhi Pandey said around 8 clusters in Almora, one in Bageshwar,12 in Dehradun, one in Tehri, 3 in Paudi, one in Rudraprayag and 15 in Uttarkashi had been identified for the promotion of the dry fruit production in the state.