Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Friday, 26 June 2026 that Uttarakhand will get two major horticulture infrastructure investments — a ₹100 crore Clean Plant Centre at Mukteshwar and a ₹15 crore Centre of Excellence at Chaubatia, Almora — aimed at supplying quality, disease-free planting material to farmers in the hill state.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, the Minister stated: 'Uttarakhand ab bagwani ka bhi pramukh kendra banne ja raha hai' — 'Uttarakhand is now set to become a major hub of horticulture as well.' He added that the Clean Plant Centre at Mukteshwar will be established at a cost of ₹100 crore to provide quality and disease-free plants to farmers. Separately, a Centre of Excellence at Chaubatia (Almora) will come up at a cost of ₹15 crore through India-Netherlands cooperation.

Mukteshwar, located in Nainital district, is a high-altitude hill station well-suited for temperate horticulture research. Chaubatia in Almora district already hosts established government fruit research activities, making it a logical anchor for the bilateral Centre of Excellence.

Policy Backdrop

India's push for certified, disease-free planting material has been a central pillar of horticultural policy since the National Horticulture Mission was launched in 2005-06. Clean Plant Centres are a key instrument under this framework, designed to eliminate viruses and pathogens from foundation stock before they reach orchards.

The India-Netherlands agricultural partnership has deep roots: the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural cooperation in 2014, covering knowledge exchange in horticulture, plant health, tissue culture, and protected cultivation. The proposed Centre of Excellence at Chaubatia is a direct expression of that bilateral commitment, bringing Dutch expertise in diagnostics and high-tech horticulture to an Indian hill-state context.

Stakeholders and Impact

Uttarakhand's hill farmers have long cultivated apples, stone fruits, and other temperate crops, but productivity has been constrained by the use of infected or low-quality planting material. Access to certified, clean nursery stock from a dedicated centre at Mukteshwar could significantly reduce crop losses and improve marketable yields for smallholder orchardists across the state.

The Centre of Excellence at Chaubatia is expected to transfer Dutch technology in tissue culture and protected cultivation, offering farmers and extension workers a demonstration facility to adopt modern horticultural practices. Together, the two centres position Uttarakhand as a model for high-value horticulture development in India's Himalayan hill regions, providing an alternative income stream beyond traditional subsistence farming.

What's Next

Formal sanction orders, tendering processes, and timelines for both centres will be closely watched by state officials, farmers' groups, and bilateral partners. Any integration with the revised National Horticulture Mission or Uttarakhand's state horticulture action plan will determine how quickly ground-level work begins. The Minister's announcement sets a clear political signal; administrative follow-through will be the measure of its real impact for hill farmers.