Orange Rejuvenation Under Horticulture Mission

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"></span><br /><h1 style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: center;"><span class="SpellE"><span lang="EN-US">By Khagendramani</span></span><span lang="EN-US"> <span class="SpellE">Pradhan</span></span></h1><div><span lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellE"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQ1tbwFd-YLAQF8YrHgy5ko0LWJ3uh55qAf92tO3MT6OeYe7ebRultuCKMA8HUt_jFTWoQA3YBeuOb-se20wUItg2mgJ608Jf3x5xmBPAk5FOmhGVASLROJJQ-u1ix_M2CD7kE64nsEzo/s1600/d2011050401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQ1tbwFd-YLAQF8YrHgy5ko0LWJ3uh55qAf92tO3MT6OeYe7ebRultuCKMA8HUt_jFTWoQA3YBeuOb-se20wUItg2mgJ608Jf3x5xmBPAk5FOmhGVASLROJJQ-u1ix_M2CD7kE64nsEzo/s320/d2011050401.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div><span lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellE"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nearly sixty<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="SpellE">lakh</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> pieces of hill mandarin/oranges were procured and exported from </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> this season to different parts of the country with </span><span class="SpellE">Kolkata</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, Bihar and </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh </st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">providing a greater share of market. This was apart from the local consumption and those procured by the Government Fruit Preservative Factory and other small scale industry engaged in processing of oranges for different bye-products. Attempts were also made to reach the mandarin orange from </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to global markets through its outlet established in the national capital region of </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Delhi</st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With SIMFED (<span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span> State Cooperative and Marketing Federation), a State Government subsidiary and NERAMAC (North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited), a Government of India enterprise partnering in procuring and marketing of oranges from <span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span>, the value return that the producers could get has been very much encouraging.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mandarin orange has been one of the important commercial fruit of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span></st1:place></st1:country-region> being cultivated since time immemorial. According to a rough estimate, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span></st1:country-region> has nearly 6 thousand hectares of area under orange plantation which produces on an average of 1667 kg/<span class="SpellE">hectare.The</span> advent of Horticulture Mission for North East and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Himalayan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>, a centrally sponsored scheme, rapid area expansion has been initiated with a set target to double the area under orange cultivation. Orange farmers/producers are being provided with financial assistance for maintenance and area expansion of orange orchards.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Apart from the financial assistance, the Department of Horticulture and cash crop, Government of <span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span>, has also been providing the enterprising farmers and producers with planting materials, bio-pesticides and fungicides, tools and equipment, intensive training and exposure visit to National Research Centre for citrus at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Nagpur</span></st1:place></st1:city> and other progressive farmers’ field. With a remarkable progress made in terms of area expansion and ray of hope coming in the direction of high returns, a number of nurseries have been established for producing healthy and quality planting materials, while tissue culture laboratories in the private sectors has also been supplementing the requirement of quality planting materials.  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Department of Horticulture and cash crops has also identified areas best suited for area expansion under the mission for rejuvenation of orange cultivation and production. Concentrated focus to provide missing link taking into account the entire gamut for its enhancement has been put to practice. And with the Government declaration of making <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span></st1:country-region></st1:place> a fully organic state by the year 2015, emphasis is being laid on providing bio-organic input for cultivation and production of this fruit.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is interesting to note that in the last quarter of the year 2009, Export Import Bank of India (EXIM) had recommended to the State government for rejuvenation of orchards of about 20 years of age, gradual replanting of the older ones, soil reclamation and<span class="SpellE">manuring</span> around the tree and planting of new orchards with saplings from certified nursery that can go a long way in helping to realize the untapped export potential of mandarin<span class="SpellE">orange.The</span> report also had pointed out that processing of mandarin oranges in the form of juices, squash, marmalade and jam is critical as it results in increased shelf life and a far higher per unit value realization. Such processing lends itself to easy transportation thereby facilitating its exports.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Bank had summed up its study on mandarin orange export potential of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span></st1:place></st1:country-region> by concluding that a facility needs to be established for sorting, grading and processing of mandarin oranges and other horticulture products which could be simultaneously used so as to achieve optimal utilization of the unit. This would entail creating an enabling environment for private sector investments in the State, it said.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="color: black; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Bank also noted in its report that <span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span> is ideally suited to the extension of acreage under orange as the State has favorable topography and <span class="SpellE">climate.The</span> Bank had in its recommendation also called for setting up an autonomous board for mandarin growers which would act as a nodal point for extension work, help in farmer education and work <span class="GramE">closely</span>with farmers’ cooperatives to improve farm management practices and the quality of farm produce. The board could also help with credit, marketing and information on the market, the bank had suggested.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With all such positive indicators in all the areas of orange cultivation and production, and projected drastic fall in the exports of mandarin oranges from <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>, it is for sure that with guided policy intervention and development of required infrastructure, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="SpellE">Sikkim</span></st1:place></st1:country-region>can initiate to exploit this void in the global market<span class="GramE">.</span></span></span><b><i><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="GramE">(</span>PIB Features)</span></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 500;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Author is a Freelance Journalist and t</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">he views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own.</span></i></b></div></div>

Orange Rejuvenation Under Horticulture Mission

By Khagendramani   Pradhan Nearly sixty   lakh  pieces of hill mandarin/oranges were procured and exported from  Sikkim  this season to diff...

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