The horticulture department in India is promoting persimmon cultivation in Himachal Pradesh through cluster development under the Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (HP SHIVA) project.
New clusters are being established in Mandi, Sirmaur, Kangra, Bilaspur, and Solan districts. A total of 358 hectares is being covered under the programme. At present, Kullu accounts for nearly 90% of the state's persimmon production.
In Mandi, five clusters have been set up in the Barot valley between January and March, including Mayot (10 hectares), Badi Bajgaon (10 hectares), Dhamchian (30 hectares), Markhan (13 hectares), and Dharmehar (5 hectares). A further six clusters covering 70 hectares are being developed in the Prashar valley.
Persimmon cultivation has expanded in higher altitude areas, including Kullu and parts of Mandi such as Panarsa. Deputy director (horticulture), Mandi, Sanjay Gupta, said, "Persimmon was earlier cultivated in very limited areas, mainly in Kullu and the Panarsa region of Mandi, which is close to Kullu. We have now given a push to its cultivation and set up these clusters under the HP SHIVA project. Persimmon is well-suited to hilly terrain, making it ideal and somewhat exclusive to such regions. Since it is a relatively new crop, it offers high returns to growers and has strong future potential."
"The variety we have planted is Fuyu, which has the advantage of being harvested at three different stages. No such large-scale project had been implemented in these valleys earlier, and we hope it will benefit the local population. The focus is on rural areas, and it is expected to boost the rural economy," he added.
In Kangra, a 10-hectare cluster has been established at Andari Mala in the Baijnath area. Out of approximately 41,000 hectares under fruit cultivation in the district, around 11.4 hectares are currently under persimmon. This cluster marks the first structured planting of the crop in the area.
Deputy director (horticulture), Kangra, Alaksh Pathania, said, "The state government is promoting persimmon cultivation in areas where the climate and topography are suitable for this fruit. It is an off-season fruit and remains in high demand in the market. It is easy to grow, not labour-intensive, and has relatively low disease incidence."
"We are also planning to develop another cluster of around 30 ha in the Chota Bhangal area, for which a survey is underway," he added.
The HP SHIVA project, financed by the Asian Development Bank, aims to increase farm income across seven districts in subtropical areas of the state.
Source: Hindustan Times
