UPSSSC Test 8

The Integrated Horticulture Development Mission implemented in Uttar Pradesh under the centrally sponsored Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and state complementary funds supports farmers across the state in diversifying their agricultural production from traditional cereal crops such as wheat and paddy into high-value fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, aromatic plants, and medicinal plants, which offer significantly higher income per unit of land and water than the staple grain crops that currently dominate the agricultural economy of the state. The scheme provides substantial financial assistance to farmers for the purchase of quality planting material of certified varieties from government and registered private nurseries, the installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems that improve water use efficiency and enable cultivation of crops in areas with limited water availability, the establishment of protected cultivation infrastructure such as polyhouses, net houses, and shade houses for production of out-of-season vegetables and high-value floriculture crops, and the construction and equipping of cold storage and post-harvest management facilities that extend the shelf life of perishable produce and enable farmers to sell at higher prices when market conditions are more favourable. The Mathura and Agra regions are renowned nationally for high-quality potato seed and table potato production and for floriculture including rose, gladiolus, and tuberose cultivation that supplies markets across north India. Lucknow, Saharanpur, and Bahraich are known for their mango orchards producing famous varieties including Dussehri, Langra, and Chausa that command premium prices in domestic and export markets. The terai districts along the Nepal border support commercial cultivation of litchi, banana, and tropical fruits.