Loans worth ₹7,100 crore sanctioned for over 30,000 projects under AIF
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
The Punjab Government has intensified efforts to expand the horticulture sector and enhance farmers’ income across the state . Working under the directions of Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat, the Horticulture Department is encouraging farmers to move beyond traditional crops and adopt crop diversification through policy support, financial assistance and modern technology. During 2025, the Horticulture Department achieved several significant milestones and emerged as a frontrunner at the national level in strengthening agricultural infrastructure.
Sharing further details, Horticulture Minister said that Punjab Horticulture Department once again ranked number one among all states in effective implementation of the centrally sponsored Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme. He said the Horticulture Department is functioning as the nodal agency for the scheme in Punjab, ensuring its smooth and transparent execution. So far, loans amounting to ₹7,100 crore have been sanctioned for more than 30,000 agricultural projects under the AIF scheme.
The Minister said that the Mann Government is giving special emphasis to the promotion of horticulture as a key driver of farmers’ income growth. Owing to the continuous and focused efforts of the department, along with increased emphasis on crop diversification, the area under horticulture in Punjab has expanded from 4,81,616 hectares to 5,21,000 hectares.
To further strengthen the sector and familiarise farmers with modern techniques, Bhagat said that a state-of-the-art Horticulture Development Centre is being established at Ladhowal in Ludhiana. The centre will function as a one-stop knowledge hub and play a vital role in motivating farmers to shift from the wheat–paddy cycle towards high-value horticultural crops.
Highlighting a major grassroots initiative, the Minister said the state government has launched the ‘Apna Pind–Apna Bagh’ campaign, giving a new direction to horticulture development. Under this initiative, fruit-bearing plants are being planted on village panchayat lands. The income generated from these orchards will be utilised by the respective panchayats for village development, thereby strengthening the rural economy.
Under the National Horticulture Mission, financial assistance amounting to ₹1,575 lakh has been released to farmers for establishing new orchards, cultivation of vegetables and flowers, mushroom production and beekeeping.To promote floriculture, the department is providing financial assistance of ₹14,000 per acre under the State Plan Scheme. During the current financial year, a subsidy of ₹17.40 lakh has been disbursed under this scheme.
The Minister further informed that under the Post-Harvest Handling Scheme, a 50 percent subsidy is being provided on plastic crates and carton boxes used for handling fruits and vegetables after harvest. During the current financial year, subsidies worth ₹23.26 lakh have been released under this scheme.
Under the electricity and water conservation scheme, farmers adopting drip irrigation and orchard plantation are being provided an incentive of ₹10,000 per acre, with ₹47.56 lakh released as subsidy during the year. Additionally, a 50 percent subsidy is being given for replacement of polyhouse cladding material, under which ₹140.51 lakh has been disbursed.To encourage small-scale mushroom cultivation, farmers are being provided with a subsidy of ₹80,000 per unit, financial assistance of ₹54.66 lakh released during the year.
Bhagat also said that to promote export–import diversification, a Centre of Excellence for onions is being developed at Kheri, Sangrur, under the Indo-Dutch cooperation agreement.He added that three specialised fruit estates—Pear Estate at Amritsar, Litchi Estate at Pathankot and Guava Estate at Patiala—have been established, which will significantly boost fruit production and farmers’ income in the state.
The Horticulture Minister said that, with a view to providing special relief to flood-affected vegetable growers, the Mann Government is providing a subsidy of 40 percent of their actual cost. He said that the Punjab Government will continue to launch new initiatives to strengthen the horticulture sector, ensuring sustainable income growth for farmers and contributing to their overall prosperity.