New Delhi, Aug 30 (KNN)  To protect the Apple crop in Himachal Pradesh, the government has initiated a number of measures including monitoring of hail control system and providing uninterrupted power supply.
 
“Department of Agriculture and Cooperation constituted a committee comprising of members from Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Meteorological Department, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF) and representative of apple growers association to assess the effectiveness of the existing anti hail guns in Himachal Pradesh,” said Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Tariq Anwar in the Rajya Sabha today.
 
Based on the observations of the committee, the Government of Himachal Pradesh has been asked to designate a Nodal Officer to monitor the existing hail control system.
 
It will also provide uninterrupted power supply to the system, besides deploying 24X7 manpower at the sites.
 
Further, scientists of UHF, Solan, Himachal Pradesh and Department of Horticulture will jointly undertake a study in this regard. 
 
In the meantime, they will continue to protect apple crops from hail by using anti hail nets.

Anti-hail nets are found to be most suitable to protect fruit crops from hail. Under Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH), assistance is provided for anti-hail nets at 50 per cent of the cost of Rs 20 per sq.m limited to 5000 sq.m per beneficiary to protect horticulture crops including apple from hail.
 
In addition, the state government is providing 30 per cent subsidy to farmers for anti-hail nets.  (KNN/ES)