State-of-the-Art Facilities inaugurated at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru

15th July, 2022, Bengaluru

The Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar was on his visit to the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka here today.

The Union Minister was accompanied by Shri Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare; Shri Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Shri Dinesh Pratap Singh, Minister of Horticulture, Government of Uttar Pradesh.

During his visit to the Institute, Shri Tomar inaugurated the two State-of-the-Art Facilities - Centre of Excellence (COE) for Protected Cultivation on Horticultural Crops and Business Entrepreneurship and Start-Up Support through Technology in Horticulture (BESST-HORT). The Union Minister encouraged them Scientists and Students to continue with the same spirit in their future endeavours also.

Shri Tomar applauded the progress made by the Institute and the Council’s other Horticultural Institutes. The importance being given by the Government for the promotion of horticulture in the country was also underlined in his address.

Dr. Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR highlighted the Institute’s contributions in the last 55 Years, viz., development of dog ridge rootstock of Grapes, multiple disease-resistant varieties, microbial formulations, micronutrient specials and Honeybee assisted pollination success in commercialization of horticultural technologies, etc.

Earlier, Dr. Debi Sharma, Director, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru welcomed the dignitaries.

The COE will facilitate the production of quality planting material, training and demonstrations to the farmers and the other stakeholders using automated sowing machines, assembly lines and hi-tech greenhouses demonstrations in protected cultivation and the BESST-HORT would provide technical handholding, mentoring & other support to the Agri-Start-Ups and onsite & virtual training.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka)