State Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi held a meeting today at his camp office with officials from the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments, issuing directives to promote innovation-based initiatives within the state’s agriculture and horticulture sectors. The meeting featured detailed discussions on increasing farmers’ income, encouraging the cultivation of new crops, and adopting modern technologies across the state.
During the meeting, Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi instructed officials to explore the potential for Moringa cultivation within the state. He noted that Moringa is an extremely beneficial crop from a health perspective, and its demand is growing rapidly both domestically and internationally. Consequently, it could emerge as an excellent alternative source of income for farmers in Uttarakhand. Representatives from private organizations present at the meeting informed the Minister that their respective organizations are currently engaged in Moringa production and processing across several states—including Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh—resulting in a significant increase in farmers’ income.
The Agriculture Minister directed officials to coordinate with high-performing organizations to initiate a pilot project in Dehradun focused on Moringa cultivation and processing. He stated that if this pilot proves successful, it will be expanded to other districts across the state. Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi emphasized that Uttarakhand’s climate is highly conducive to the cultivation of medicinal and horticultural crops. By promoting such crops within the state, the economic condition of farmers can be significantly strengthened. He further instructed officials to formulate a concrete action plan to provide farmers with access to modern technologies, training, and market linkages.
Additionally, during the meeting, Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi issued directives to ensure the timely completion of all necessary preparations for the upcoming international seminar and workshop on Cinnamon cultivation, nursery management, and post-harvest technology. This event, selected under the ‘Mahakranti Policy,’ is being organized by the Saugandh Plant Center in Dehradun and is scheduled to take place on June 11 and 12. He remarked that this workshop would prove to be a milestone in the efforts to boost cinnamon production in Uttarakhand. He further informed the officials that cinnamon experts and speakers from countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Vietnam would participate in the workshop to share insights regarding the modern technologies and successful models implemented in their respective nations. By adopting these best practices in Uttarakhand, both the production and quality of cinnamon will be enhanced, thereby providing direct benefits to farmers.
The Agriculture Minister also reviewed the preparations for the ‘Uttarakhand Horticulture Summit and Exhibition 2026’—organized by the Horticulture Board and scheduled to be held in Dehradun on June 12 and 13—emphasizing that the event should be organized in a grand and impactful manner. Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi stated that the horticulture sector can play a pivotal role in strengthening Uttarakhand’s economy. Through such events, farmers will gain access to new technologies, market opportunities, investment avenues, and expert guidance, thereby providing a new direction to the agriculture and horticulture sectors within the state.
Present on this occasion were Horticulture Mission Director Mahendra Pal, CAP Director Nripendra Chauhan, Horticulture Board CEO Narendra Yadav, and Saurabh Raturi—an office-bearer from a private organization—among others.
