Lok Sabha Question No. 1471 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-11
Subject: Betel Leaf Research Centre
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: S. Jothimani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1471 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11/02/2020

## BETEL LEAF RESEARCH CENTRE

1471. MS. S. JOTHIMANI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और षकसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Department  of  Agricultural  Research  and  Education  under  the Ministry will consider constructing a Betel Leaf Research Centre in Pugalur located in Aravakurichi in Karur Parliamentary Constituency;
- (b) whether the Government  will consider establishing a flower fragrance industrial park to promote flower cultivation at Manapparai located in Karur district of Tamil Nadu;
- (c) the  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  growth  of  the horticulture and floriculture sectors across the country; and
- (d) the details of the above programmes implemented in Tamil Nadu?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और षकसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) There  is  no  such  proposal  under  consideration  to  establish  a  Betel  Leaf Research Centre in Pugalur located in Aravakurichi in Karur Parliamentary Constituency by Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) under the Ministry.
- (b) There is no such proposal under consideration to establish a flower fragrance industrial  park  at  Manapparai  located  in  Karur  district  of  Tamil  Nadu,  since  this subject matter is not under the purview of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

(c)

- ICAR  has  established  23  Horticultural  Institutes/Directorates/National  Research Centres (NRCs) and 12 All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRPs) across the country to carry out research in Horticulture and Floriculture sector.
- The details of major activities taken by DARE towards growth of horticulture and floriculture during 2014-19 is at Annexure-I(A) .
- Further, DARE is implementing a Scheme-Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), which is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, flowers and other areas.
- MIDH has five major schemes which are as follows:
- National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
- National Horticulture Board (NHB)
- Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH)
- Coconut Development Board (CDB)
- Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), Nagaland
- ICAR-Directorate  of  Floricultural  Research  (DFR),  Pune  and  ICAR-All  India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture (AICRP on Floriculture) with its 22 coordinating centres have been established to conduct research in floriculture to address  the  crop  specific  problems. ICAR-AICRP  has  a  Centre  at  TNAU, Coimbatore.
- Major  activities  taken  by  ICAR  towards  improving  growth  of  the  Floriculture sector across the country are at Annexure-I (B).

(d) ICAR-AICRP on Floriculture has a Coordinated Centre at TNAU-Coimbatore which  caters  to  the  technological  needs  of  the  flower  growers  in  and  around Coimbatore.  This includes technology generation, dissemination and also transfer of technologies through trainings, participation in Kisan Mela, Horticulture Shows.

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## A. - Research in Horticulture

- During the period 2014-19, the following regional research stations have been established for research work on mango, guava, flowers, citrus and temperate fruits/orchids:
- ICAR - CISH-RRS, Malda (West Bengal): for subtropical fruits
- ICAR - DFR -RRS, Kadiyam (Andhra Pradesh)- for ornamental flowers
- ICAR - CCRI-RRS, Vishwanath Chariyali (Assam)- for citrus
- ICAR-CITH-RRS, Dirang (Arunachal Pradesh) - for temperate fruits.
- During the period 2014-19, following milestones have been achieved:
- 15  new  laboratories  have  been  established  in  different  institutes  under  Horticultural Science Division of ICAR to take up research work at national level.
- More  than  150  varieties  of  horticultural  crops  have  been  notified  for  the  benefit  of farmers.
- A total of 22908 new germplasm/accessions on different horticultural crops have been added.
- A  total  of  530  improved  production  technologies  developed  on  different  horticultural crops.
- A total  of  15734  MT  of  breeders/truthfully  labelled  seeds  (TL)  produced  on  different horticultural crops for the benefit of farmers.
- A total of 127 farmers' fairs have been organized across the country where a number of technologies were showcased and demonstrated.

## B. - Research in Floriculture

- Technologies  and  varieties  developed  through  ICAR-Directorate  of  Floriculture  (ICARDFR) and ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture (ICAR-AICRP) are disseminated to the stakeholders from time to time.
- The technological support (varieties and technologies) promotes floricultural activities in the country  in  terms  of  area  expansion,  increasing  the  net  returns  from  floriculture,  besides sustaining the existing floriculture.
- ICAR has also established Division of Ornamental Crops with the establishment of Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) at Bengaluru. The division focusses on development  of  novel  varieties  of  ornamental  crops  along  with  appropriate  production technology.   Division  also  focusses  research  work  on  protected  cultivation  with  an  aim  to develop quality planting material and with emphasis on export.
- Further, IIHR has established collaboration with Department of Horticulture, Karnataka and Tamil  Nadu  States  for  efficient  catering  of  planting  material  of  ornamental  crops  and  for knowledge sharing.

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