Although only 8% of the land inHimachal Pradeshis under crops, of late farmers are being hand held and schooled on switching to horticultural crops, as the benfits overweigh the challenges.
For instance, according to horticulture officer Sanjeev Katoch, HPs horticulture department is running a state-sponsored scheme, Himchal Pradesh Kiwi Protsahan Yojana, under which farmers are given 50% subsidy Rs 6,93,000 per hectare on pro rata basis for planting material, field preparation, trellis system and installation of micro-Irrigation system.
The biggest challenge though is the wait farmers are expected to wait for two to three years before they can harvest their hard work. Although lucrative, many farmers do not want to go this route as it means they have to wait for two to three years. But, if they are patient, they earn 10-year income from traditional crops in a single year,