Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), announced the launch of ‘Clean Plant Programme’ to set up 9 horticultural facilities across India during the concluding session of India’s 1st International Agri Hackathon held from June 01 to June 03, 2025 in Pune, Maharashtra.
- These nine Central Plantation Crops (CPCs) include Grapes (National Research Centre(NRC), Pune, Maharashtra); Temperate Fruits like Apple, Almond, Walnuts (Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) and Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand); Citrus Fruits (Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR)-Central Citrus Research Institute – Nagpur, Maharashtra and ICAR-Central Institute of Arid Horticulture(CIAH), Bikaner, Rajasthan); Mango, Guava, Avocado (ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research(IIHR), Bengaluru, Karnataka), Mango, Guava, Litchi (ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture(CISH), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, UP), Pomegranate (NRC, Sholapur, Maharashtra), and Tropical/Sub-Tropical Fruits in Eastern India.
- Of these 9 horticultural facilities, 3 will be established in 3 cities of Maharashtra: Pune (for Grapes); Nagpur (Oranges); and Solarpur (Pomegranates) at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.
About Clean Plant Programme:
i.The Clean plant initiative will get expert technical assistance from countries like: Israel and the Netherlands.
ii.Additionally, this initiative will complement advanced nurseries which includes investments of Rs 3 crore and Rs 1.5 crore for large nurseries and mid-sized nurseries, respectively.
iii.These nurseries are projected to provide 8 crore disease-free seedlings/plants to farmers annually.
About India’s 1st International Agri Hackathon:
i.The 3-day event was organised by Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra in partnership with Pune based Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV) and College of Agriculture in Pune.
ii.The hackathon brought together stakeholders from industries and government, along with young innovators, startups and researchers to develop new, innovative and economical solutions to tackle pressing agricultural challenges.
Key Points:
i.The hackathon demonstrated various innovative solutions, including:
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot which offers scientific solutions to farmers in Marathi;
- A cotton harvester with AI-led completed crop management; crop protection modules against wild animals;
- Wireless fertigation systems based on Israeli practices for accurate nutrient delivery and water conservation.
ii.While addressing the event, Maharashtra Chief Minister(CM) Devendra Fadnavis announced plans to use state government’s Rs 120 crore startup dedicated Funds of Funds (FoF) along with Government of India (GoI)’s fund, to provide incubation and financial support for translating participant ideas into scalable start-ups.
iii.The 3-day event witnessed the signing of various Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA) and the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Nature Growth and others, aimed to provide incubation support to new entrepreneurs.
Awards/Accolades:
i.The agri-hackathon received a total 551 entries across various categories related to the agriculture sector.
ii.Total 140 participants were selected by the jury panel for the exhibition. The 1st winner received the cash prize of Rs 25 lakh and runner-up got Rs 15 lakh.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW):
Union Minister- Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Constituency- Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, MP)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ram Nath Thakur (Rajya Sabha- Bihar); Bhagirath Choudhary (Constituency- Ajmer, Rajasthan)
