CM Sukhu announces Rs 86 crore winery project by HPMC in Theog to boost Himachal’s horticulture sector and create local employment

Shimla, November 22: Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said here today that Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) will set up a winery at Parala in Theog in Shimla district. This ambitious project of the state government worth Rs 86 crore will give a boost to the horticulture sector in the state and will provide new employment opportunities to the local people.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has granted license to HPMC to set up a winery. With the realization of this project, the fruit producers of the state, especially apple, peach, and plum orchardists, will get more profitable prices for their products. He said that this is an important step towards value addition of horticultural products, which will strengthen the economy of the orchardists as well as establish Himachal as a hub of fruit-based quality products in the country.

He said that this project will fulfill the vision of the government to strengthen the agriculture and horticulture sector of the state and will promote modern infrastructure and innovation in this sector in the state. Along with increasing the sources of revenue, this project will provide direct and indirect employment opportunities in production, processing, marketing and related industries. The state government is making concrete efforts to increase the income of farmers and gardeners by ensuring sustainable development of rural areas.

The Chief Minister said that most of the population of Himachal lives in villages and agriculture and horticulture sector is the main source of livelihood of the people. The state government has taken many innovative steps towards strengthening the rural economy. He said that as a result of the policies of the state government, Himachal is known as the fruit state of the country and the government is promoting the establishment of processing units to ensure maximum use of the fruit based products of the state.

He said that to meet the needs of apple growers, the government has fulfilled the pending demand of Universal Cotton. Apart from this, farmers were benefited by distributing an amount of Rs 163 crore under the Mandi Mediation Scheme, most of which was pending dues inherited from the previous BJP government. The present government has restored the subsidy on fungicides and pesticides for apple growers, thereby ensuring the welfare of the orchardists. The state government has also made a historic increase in the minimum support price for fruits and has ensured timely payment of pending amounts to fruit growers. All these efforts of the government demonstrate the priority of the government towards the welfare and upliftment of farmers and orchardists.