Under Direct Benefit Transfer system in Haryana, a total of 15,278 farmers against a target of 25,000 beneficiaries have availed the benefit under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme.

This was informed in a meeting of State Level Executive Committee of Haryana State Horticulture Development Agency held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department, Navraj Sandhu, here on Thursday.

Sandhu reviewed the component-wise progress with utilization of funds and appreciated the efforts of officers and officials of State Horticulture Mission.

She directed to give wide publicity to various programmes run by government under Horticulture Mission through various news papers and other means to make the farmers and stakeholders aware about subsidy programmes of the government.

The committee approved a total of 56 project proposals of mushroom cultivation, banana ripening chamber, roof top solar, cold storages, refrigerated van, planting infrastructure development and Integrated Post Harvest Management with the subsidy of Rs 14.50 crore under MIDH.

The objective of setting up of these projects is to promote horticulture by doubling farmer income in the state with focus on post harvest management, marketing infrastructure development and mushroom cultivation.

Mission Director, State Horticulture Mission, BS Sehrawat informed that Government of India has approved AAP 2018-19 for an amount of Rs 183.33 crore under MIDH scheme.

He said that first installment amounting Rs 50 crore has been released by Government of India. Funds amounting Rs 79.52 crore were available during the financial year 2018-19 (including balance of 2017-18). Till date Rs 77.73 crore was utilized which is 97.69 per cent of funds available, he added.