November 29, 2024 9:53 PM.
The Centre and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a 98 million US dollar loan to improve horticulture crop farmers’ access to certified disease-free planting materials, which will boost their crops’ yield, quality, and resilience to climate impacts.The signatories to the loan agreement for the Building India’s Clean Plant Programme were Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs Juhi Mukherjee and Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, Kai Wei Yeo.
After signing the agreement, Ms. Mukherjee stated that the ADB funding will promote plant health that is vital for improving productivity of farmers.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the project supports the Government’s Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme (CPP) that enhances plant health management. It will help develop regulatory framework and institutional systems to effectively implement the CPP for horticulture in India. The project will involve close consultation with private nurseries, researchers, state governments, and growers’ associations to ensure its success and sustainability.
The plant health management promoted through the project will also help farmers adapt to climate change, as rising temperatures not only cause extreme weather events but also affect pest and disease behaviour.