Chief Minister Pushkar singh dhami inaugurates Uttarakhand Malta Festival,Declaration of the launch of Malta Mission in the state.
Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Uttarakhand Malta Festival on Saturday at the Government Garden Circuit House, Garhi Cantt. On this occasion, while announcing the launch of the Malta Mission to promote the production of Malta in the state, the Chief Minister said that the Malta Festival would also be organised in Delhi on behalf of the state. On this occasion, Chief Minister Shri Dhami, along with his wife Smt. Geeta Pushkar Dhami, observed the exhibition of Malta and citrus variety fruits from various districts and also tasted various products made from citrus fruits, including Malta and lemon sour condiments.
The Chief Minister said that Malta is associated with the identity and tradition of Uttarakhand. Horticulture can play an important role in strengthening the state’s economy and prosperity. To realise these possibilities, the state government has made several notable starts, such as the Apple Mission and Kiwi Mission. On the same lines, the Malta Mission will be started to promote the production of Malta in the state.
The Chief Minister stated that many important steps have been taken by the government for the branding of the state’s Malta and to provide it with a better market. Organising the Malta Festival in every district of the state is a link in these efforts. He said that to give the state’s Malta national recognition, the Malta Festival would also be organised in Delhi on behalf of the state.
The Chief Minister said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the state government is working with full commitment to increase the economic status of farmers. The income of farmers is being increased through proper encouragement, innovation and modern techniques in the field of farming and horticulture. This initiative will prove to be a game-changer in stopping migration and providing employment to the youth near their villages. Chief Minister said that the state government is encouraging suitable farming and horticulture according to local specialties.
The Chief Minister said that work is being done towards establishing orchards of Malta, apple, pear, kiwi, walnut, peach and citrus fruits in the state. Special attention is being paid to strengthening production and marketing by developing crop-based clusters. A minimum support price has been declared for Malta and Galgal (Hill Lemon) in the state. The government is providing a 50 percent subsidy for planting orchards, a 70 to 80 percent subsidy for micro-irrigation and up to a 60 percent subsidy for food processing units. Referring to the center established for aromatic plants in Selaqui, Chief Minister said that by starting a fragrance revolution, an important initiative has been taken to promote the cultivation of aromatic plants on a wide scale in the state.
Praising the efforts of Shri Harish, a Malta producer from Pauri Garhwal who came to participate in the Malta Festival, the Chief Minister mentioned that he has planted about one thousand saplings of 53 species and is preparing to plant 200 saplings this time as well. Chief Minister called upon other farmers to take inspiration from him and make the government’s efforts successful in realising the possibilities existing in the field of horticulture.
On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Shri Ganesh Joshi said that farmers would get direct benefits by promoting the production, processing and marketing of local fruits like Malta. He said that such festivals, along with connecting farmers to new markets, also provide new opportunities for self-employment. He expressed confidence that in the coming five years, Uttarakhand will be among the leading states in the country in the field of horticulture. The Agriculture Minister said that the government’s continuous effort is to encourage the production, processing and marketing of local fruits like Malta and pass the direct benefits to the farmer brothers of the state, and this festival is strong evidence of these efforts.
MP Shri Naresh Bansal, MLA Smt. Savita Kapoor, office bearers Shri Kailash Pant and Shri Pratap Singh Panwar, and Secretary Agriculture Dr. S.N. Pandey, along with several public representatives, officials, and farmers from various districts were also present at the programme.
