A new shade of orange in expected to stand out in terraced orchards of Himachal Pradesh with the horticulture department promoting the cultivation of the exotic fruit persimmon (Japani phal) with new clusters developed in areas with favourable climatic conditions across Mandi, Sirmaur, Kangra, Bilaspur and Solan districts during this season.
At present, Kullu accounts for nearly 90% of the state’s total persimmon production. The initiative has been taken under the Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (HP SHIVA) project. A total area of 358 hectares is being covered under these clusters across the state.
In Mandi, five such clusters have been established in the Barot valley between January and March. These include Mayot (10 hectares), Badi Bajgaon (10 hectares), Dhamchian (30 hectares), Markhan (13 hectares) and Dharmehar (5 hectares). In addition, six clusters covering 70 hectares are also being developed in the Prashar valley.
In recent years, the gardeners in the temperate regions (higher) of the state have shown an increasing interest in cultivating the Japanese fruit. Persimmon cultivation has been growing in the higher reaches, particularly in the temperate zones of Kullu and some parts of Mandi (Panarsa area). For commercial purposes, Kullu dominated the production of persimmon and alone accounts for nearly 90% of the state’s total persimmon production.
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, the horticulture department has set up a 10-hectare persimmon cluster at Andari Mala in Baijnath area. Of the approximately 41,000 hectares under cultivation of various fruits in the district, only about 11.4 ha are currently under scattered persimmon cultivation. This cluster will be the first area brought under systematic plantation of the exotic fruit.
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.
HP SHIVA project, financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has been conceived to harness the potential of horticulture in the subtropical climate area of Himachal. The project aims to increase the income of farm households in seven districts (Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Sirmaur and Una) of subtropical areas of the state.