Chandigarh, Dec. 26, 2025 — Punjab’s horticulture strategy is moving beyond farms into village commons, with the state government launching the ‘Apna Pind–Apna Bagh’ initiative to generate income for rural panchayats through fruit cultivation.
Under the program, fruit-bearing plants are being planted on panchayat-owned land, and the revenue generated from these orchards will be used for village development projects.
“This initiative connects horticulture with grassroots development,” Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat said. “It ensures that villages directly benefit from the economic value of fruit cultivation.”
The campaign is part of a broader push by the Mann government to make horticulture a central pillar of rural prosperity. To support the transition to high-value crops, a state-of-the-art Horticulture Development Centre is being set up at Ladhowal in Ludhiana.
“The centre will serve as a one-stop hub for modern horticulture practices and motivate farmers to move away from the wheat–paddy cycle,” Bhagat said.
Specialized infrastructure is also being created to support exports and crop-specific growth. A Centre of Excellence for onion cultivation is under development at Kheri in Sangrur district under the Indo-Dutch cooperation agreement.
In addition, three fruit estates — a pear estate in Amritsar, a litchi estate in Pathankot and a guava estate in Patiala — have been established to strengthen production and improve farmers’ returns.
The department has also expanded subsidies for protected cultivation, releasing ₹140.51 lakh for the replacement of polyhouse cladding material, while mushroom growers have received ₹54.66 lakh in assistance at ₹80,000 per unit.
To support farmers affected by floods, the government is providing a subsidy covering 40% of actual cultivation costs for vegetable growers.
“Our focus is to make horticulture profitable, resilient and community-oriented,” Bhagat said. “These initiatives are designed to create lasting income opportunities for farmers and villages alike.”
