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Work begins on ₹300-cr clean plant centres in Maharashtra
Maharashtra is setting up three clean plant centres for virus-free crops, enhancing fruit quality and boosting farmers' income under a ₹300-crore initiative.
Work has begun on setting up three state-of-the-art clean plant centres in Maharashtra—part of the Union government’s initiative to provide virus-free, high-quality planting material to fruit growers. The centres, proposed in Pune (grape), Nagpur (orange), and Solapur (pomegranate), are being developed under a ₹300-crore allocation announced by Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during his visit to Pune on June 3.
The project has started in coordination with central and state agencies.
A senior secretary-level official said on condition of anonymity, “Farmers often struggle to access reliable planting material and are sometimes cheated with substandard saplings. The centres aim to address the gap by ensuring supply of certified, virus-free plants suited to regional conditions.”
The centres will not only help farmers increase productivity and income but also ensure that consumers get access to better quality, nutritionally superior fruits, officials said. “The focus is on improving crop yields, reducing losses due to disease, and enabling India’s produce to meet global export standards,” the official added.
Each centre will develop clean plant varieties and region-specific technologies. According to experts, the centres are crucial for Maharashtra, which is grappling with frequent pest and disease outbreaks affecting horticulture.
The initiative is part of the Union government’s ₹1,765-crore clean plant programme announced in Budget 2023, aimed at strengthening India’s horticulture sector. Maharashtra is the first state where centre-specific work has started.
Chouhan said, “Maharashtra has emerged as the horticulture hub of India due to the combined efforts of farmers and government support. The centres will help elevate the state’s role in global fruit exports.”
Farmers’ associations have welcomed the move but are urging quick implementation. “The government must ensure timely and transparent rollout, so farmers can access clean planting material before the next cycle,” said Sanjay Patil, a grape farmer from Baramati.
Officials said tenders and partnerships with research institutes are being finalised and physical infrastructure work is expected to pick up pace by July. The Pune centre will collaborate closely with National Research Centre for Grapes (NRCG), while Solapur and Nagpur centres will coordinate with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutions for pomegranate and citrus, respectively.
