The Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence in Haryana, India, developed with Israeli collaboration, have increased horticulture productivity in the region. Between 2010 and 2024, fruit and vegetable yields rose by 37%, while the horticulture area expanded by 13%. Officials noted that the cultivated area for fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers grew from 364,000 hectares in 2010 to 412,000 hectares in 2024, with productivity increasing from 12.07 to 16.56 metric tons per hectare.
The data was shared during a meeting between Israel's Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter and Haryana's Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana at the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for Vegetables in Gharaunda, Karnal.
Eleven Centres of Excellence are operational in Haryana, focusing on protected cultivation, micro-irrigation, and high-quality seedling production. The state plans to establish three new centres in Ambala, Yamunanagar, and Hisar, specializing in litchi, strawberry, and date palm, respectively.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini highlighted the climate and land similarities between Israel and Haryana, stating, "The technology there is most useful for us." An Integrated Bee Development Centre has been set up in Ramnagar, Kurukshetra, and plans for a hydroponics Centre of Excellence are underway.
Haryana is also establishing 140 fruit and vegetable collection and pack houses under the Horticulture Crop Cluster Development Programme. A nine-year sustainable horticulture project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, aims to create over 400 collection and distribution centres linked to a major hub at Ganaur, enhancing supply systems and farmer incomes.
Source: The Indian Express