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About 6,000 seedlings were planted in seven regions. (News 18)
CNN-News18 visited a farm in Hajipur, Vaishali state. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the project has achieved success and achieved encouraging results from all regions and is ready for harvesting in July and August.
In March 2022, the Bihar Horticultural Department distributed seedlings of HRMN99, an apple variety developed by Harriman Sharma of Himachal Pradesh with University of Gujarat scientists, is suitable for cultivation in subtropical and low altitude plains even at a temperature of 40°C. As part of the pilot project, 650 seedlings per 9 hectares, a total of about 6,000 seedlings, were planted in seven districts of Vaishali, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Aurangabad, Samastipur, Katihar and Muzaffarpur, after giving formal training to selected farmers. The state gave huge subsidies to farmers for cultivation, at a cost of 100 rupees or so per plant. Moreover, the sprinkler drip irrigation system funded by the Prime Minister’s Agricultural Irrigation Scheme has proven to be a boon.
Cut to 2023. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the project has been a success with encouraging results from all regions and ready for harvesting in July and August.
CNN-News18 visited a farm in Hajipur in Vaishali, which looked like an apple garden in Himachal, only in a tropical setting. The farmer also had high spirits, and hoped for profits in the future.
Farmer Krishna Pallab Singh said, “The Department of Horticulture gave us the opportunity to grow fruits last year and I am very happy to see the fruits on the trees. We hope that in the coming years we will be able to produce apples in Bihar. I would like to thank Chief Minister Sichayi Yojana, as we have got sprinklers, “Which proves to be a boon for the plants. We got huge support under the scheme. After seeing the trees full of fruits, I hope the people of Bihar will eat the apples grown in the state.”
Om Prakash Sharma, horticultural officer, Vaishali district, said, “Across all seven districts, we are seeing good yields. This was the first year of the pilot project and after seeing the success, we plan to plant extensively in other districts as well. It is sure to fruit, given that it is Grown in difficult conditions, it will have more nutritional value, although the glossiness will not match Kashmir apples. This is a high quality variety suitable for the climate of Bihar.”
“high importance”
Although this pilot project was initiated by a minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last year, the current Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) minister seemed equally positive on agriculture and promised to keep the project in high regard.
Speaking EXCLUSIVELY to CNN-News18, Kumar Sarvjit, Bihar Minister of Agriculture said, “Agriculture is a very vast topic to work on. I have been concentrating on lemongrass and tea cultivation. I am also amazed to see apples growing in such hot weather. It proves to be a successful experiment, I will definitely observe it myself. I work for the welfare of the farmers and will do everything I can if it brings them profits. Why only apples, even oranges are grown in the hot weather of Nagpur. I will ask the scientists if it is also possible to grow oranges in the state Bihar”.
Following CNN-News18’s report, the minister took notes from scientists working in apple cultivation. Sarvjit said he promised to visit areas where apples are grown, get feedback from farmers and if all goes well, large-scale production will start in Bihar.
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