Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat has informed that various steps taken by the Government to increase the Country’s production and exports of fruits and vegetables are as under:
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, is being implemented during XII Plan w.e.f. 2014-15, for holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering all the horticulture crops including fruits and vegetables. The Mission envisages production and productivity improvement of horticulture crops including fruit and vegetable crops through increased coverage of area with improved cultivars, rejuvenation of senile orchards, protected cultivation, creation of water resources, adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), organic farming, including insitu generation of organic inputs. Capacity buildings of farmers and technicians is also provided for adopting improved technologies.
• To boost exports, recently a new scheme has been launched namely “Merchandize Exports from India (MEIS)” under Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20, wherein the exporters/farmers are incentivized for export of their goods/products including fruits and vegetables to specified markets.