New Zealand will provide the Himachal Pradesh government technical know-how to increase apple production as well as horticulture and related industries in the state.

New Zealand High Commissioner Joanna Kempkers along with other delegates met Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here on Friday evening and discussed various issues pertaining to horticulture.

The CM apprised the New Zealand delegates about the horticultural practices in districts such as Mandi, Chamba and Sirmaur. He said to support the introduction of new technologies in the sector, a Rs 1,134 crore World Bank funded horticulture development project is being implemented in the state.

“The road map of high-tech horticulture would not only revolutionise the horticulture sector in the state, but also ameliorate the fate of Himachali fruit growers for a better and prosperous tomorrow,” Thakur said.
He expressed happiness over the progress made by New Zealand in producing high quality apples averaging around 65 metric tonnes per hectare. The country is providing technical knowhow to as many as 70 countries.

“The experts from New Zealand will provide technical knowhow to the experts of Horticulture department and the peasants in my state for better socio-economic returns and upliftment of the lives of the common man,” the CM said.

Thakur said the government was fully aware of the challenges the growers were facing. “Threat of climate change world-wide had forced fruit growers or agriculturists to adapt to new innovations in crop diversification. Rejuvenation of traditional, old and low productive orchards in the present scenario is the need of the hour,” he said.

Kempkers said the project is a welcome progression to the long-standing association of New Zealand experts with horticulturists of HP. New Zealand and Indian apple farmers were not competitors in the market but partners, she said. “The experts would help in improving the productivity and management of orchards and contribute to creating more jobs and bettering livelihoods,” she added.

“This project will provide growers in HP with access to New Zealand expertise to help improve the productivity of their orchards in terms of both yield and quality, and subsequently generate better returns for their growers,” she said.