Kangra to supply 60,000 fruit saplings as monsoon plantation drive gains pace

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Dharamshala, July 11

With the arrival of the monsoon, horticultural activities have gained momentum across Kangra district, where the Horticulture Department has completed preparations for a large-scale fruit-plantation campaign. Alongside supplying improved fruit saplings to farmers and orchardists, the department will also undertake extensive cluster-based plantation under the state government’s Shiva Project.

The initiative aims to increase farmers’ income while strengthening fruit production across the district.

Dr Alaksh Pathania, Deputy Director of the Kangra District Horticulture Department in Dharamshala, said the monsoon season is the primary period for plantation activities in the district, and all necessary preparations have been completed.

He said around 60,000 fruit saplings have been readied for distribution this year. These include mango, litchi, guava, pomegranate, jamun, lemon, galgal and malta, along with several other citrus varieties. The sale of the saplings will begin shortly, and they will be made available to farmers through the department’s block-level offices.

Dr Pathania further said that under the Shiva Project, a target has been set to plant approximately 1.5 lakh saplings across 13 blocks of Kangra district this year. In addition to citrus and guava, mango clusters will be developed as part of the project for the first time.

In response to demand from farmers in Fatehpur, Indora and Nurpur, improved mango varieties, including Amrapali, Mallika, Pusa Arunima, Arunika, Ambika and Pusa Shreshtha, will be planted. He added that the procurement process has already begun and supply orders have been issued to the concerned nurseries.

According to Dr Pathania, the department’s regular plantation programme will cover nearly 40 to 50 hectares, while approximately 140 hectares will be brought under plantation through the Shiva Project.

He appealed to farmers to make the most of the monsoon season by obtaining improved fruit saplings from the department and adopting scientific horticultural practices to improve productivity.