Jalpaiguri, Aug. 4 -- The Horticulture Department has approved 14 government-subsidised schemes for Jalpaiguri district during the current financial year to promote horticulture and modern farming. The schemes, to be implemented under the Integrated Horticulture Development Mission (IHDM), jointly funded by the Centre and the West Bengal government, will provide financial assistance for vegetables, flowers, spices, mushrooms, greenhouses, vermicompost units, plastic mulching and power tillers.

The department has set a target of bringing 101 hectares under hybrid vegetable cultivation. Farmers will receive a 40 per cent subsidy on the approved cultivation cost of

Rs 60,000 per hectare. To boost commercial floriculture, 20 hectares have been earmarked for bulbous flower cultivation, with growers eligible for a 40 per cent subsidy on the estimated cultivation cost of Rs 2.5 lakh per hectare.

Targets of 100 hectares each have also been fixed for seed spices and bulb spices, with farmers receiving a 40 per cent subsidy on the approved cultivation cost.

To encourage protected and low-cost farming, a 50 per cent subsidy will be provided for establishing 200-square-foot mushroom production units, constructing 500-square-metre greenhouses and 200-square-metre bamboo-structured greenhouses, and cultivating high-value fruits and vegetables inside greenhouses.

Farmers adopting plastic mulching and setting up vermicompost units, including vermi beds, will also receive a 50 per cent subsidy. The scheme further offers a 50 per cent subsidy on the purchase of power tillers, including models up to 8 BHP and higher-capacity variants, subject to scheme guidelines. A similar subsidy will be available for constructing 25-metric-tonne garlic and onion storage units.

Khurshid Alam, Assistant Director of the District Horticulture Department, said: "The farmers interested in availing the benefits of the schemes can contact the Field Assistant at their respective Block Development Office (BDO) or visit the District Horticulture Department office at Mohitnagar for further assistance."

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.