On Wednesday 20 April, the agriculture department of Rajasthan opened a centre of excellence for citrus fruit in Kota, with the aim of boosting cultivation in the state. Israel will help with cultivating the fruit by providing technical assistance.
While inaugurating the Centre for excellence, chief minister Vasundhara Raje said that the oranges produced in the state will be known as Raj Santara. The centre's focus will be on producing the best quality oranges in the state.
Moreover, she said that the government will take help from Israel in water conservation as the country has expertise in the field.
The Indo-Israel centre for excellence has been developed under the National Horticulture Mission. The farmers and horticulturists of the state will learn a lot from the newly set up centre for citrus fruits. "The farmers will have a chance to be trained in citrus fruits production. The centre will offer new saplings of citrus fruits to the farmers and they will be told about how to use the technology for watering the plants," the official said.
The new Israeli technology will be offered to the farmers as conditions in Kota and other parts of the state will be conducive for it. "We have selected Kota for the centre for excellence because it has hot humid conditions which are conducive for citrus fruits like oranges, kinnow and lemon," the official said.
The centre was set up in Kota in 2014-15 but it was officially inaugurated on Wednesday.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
