Odisha becomes self sufficient in fruit bearing planting

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has become self sufficient in fruit bearing planting materials and in a position to export some of the species to other states.
Official sources here said the state has become a surplus state in quality planting materials for fruit bearing trees and the state is not required to import fruit saplings form outside which was the practice till last planting season.
Director Horticulture Sanjeeb Chadha claimed that timely interventions and regular monitoring activities during the last years has led the state to become self sufficient in fruit bearing planting materials. ‘We are now in a position to export some of the species to other states only except totapuri mango variety,’ he said adding that the state will soon become self sufficient in totapuri variety.
At present, around 111.01 lakh planting materials of various fruit species are available in departmental firms, OUAT, OSCD and private nurseries of the State.
The saplings have already been allotted to different districts for plantation during the current season, and it is expected that targeted plantation for the current year will be achieved by September.
State Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra has directed to take up plantation of fruit bearing trees in the fenced campus of ashram schools.There are about 3,50,00 students in Ashram Schools of the State.
The state governnment has adopted ‘One child one plant’ slogan for this campaign. The Chief Secretary has also directed to have ‘sky watch monitoring’ of horticultural plantations through remote sensing devices.
The state government has decided that no permission will be required for cutting of old cashew trees from revenue land for the purposes of replacing them with new saplings, as cashew is a non-forest species. Official report said in the year 2011-12 and 2012-13 fruit plantation was done in around 24,176 and 23,708 hectares respectively. The plantation area increased to 29,020 hectors during the year 2013-14.
An Action Plan has been drawn for fruit plantation over 32583 hectares during 2014-15, thereby marking a growth of around 34 per cent over 2011-12. Mango has been the dominant species of plantation in the State. over the years. Other species planted include litchi, lime, orange, cashew, aonla, oil palms, banana, sapota, papaya and custard apple. (PTI)