Horticulture Cluster Development Programme (CDP)

Why in news?

• The government has come up with a new platform to disburse subsidies to horticulture farmers under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP) known as CDP-SURAKSHA.

CDP-SURAKSHA

• The CDP-SURAKSHA is essentially a digital platform. SURAKSHA stands for “System for Unified Resource Allocation, Knowledge, and Secure Horticulture Assistance.”
• The platform will allow an instant disbursal of subsidies to farmers in their bank account by utilising the e-RUPI voucher from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• The voucher is a one-time payment mechanism that can be redeemed without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the merchants accepting e-RUPI.
• e-RUPI can be shared with the beneficiaries for a specific purpose or activity by organisations or government via SMS or QR code.
• Significance: The CDP-SURAKSHA platform will provide subsidies to farmers upfront, at the time of purchasing the planting material.
• Vendors, who will supply planting materials to farmers, will receive their payment only after farmers verify the delivery of their orders.
• The move seeks to push the growth of India’s horticulture sector.

Horticulture Sector in India

• Horticulture is the science and art of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. It encompasses a wide range of activities including plant propagation, production, management, and marketing.
• The Indian horticulture sector contributes about 33% to the agriculture Gross Value Added (GVA) making a very significant contribution to the Indian economy.
• India is currently producing about 320.48 million tons of horticulture produce which has surpassed the food grain production, that too from much less area.
• Productivity of horticulture crops is much higher compared to productivity of food grains.
• At present, India is the second largest producer of vegetables and fruits in the world.
• India ranks first in the production of a number of crops like Banana, Lime & Lemon, Papaya, Okra.
• India’s advantage lies in being a low-cost producer of fruits and vegetables because of a combination of factors such as favourable agro-climatic conditions, availability of labour, and low input costs.
• As a result, fruits and vegetables account for almost 90% of the total horticulture production in the country.

Challenges Faced by the Sector

• Lack of Infrastructure: Insufficient infrastructure for post-harvest handling, storage, and transportation leads to significant losses of perishable horticultural produce.
• Water Management: Horticulture is water-intensive, and water scarcity or inefficient water management practices affect crop yields and quality.
• Pest and Disease Management: Pests and diseases cause significant damage to horticultural crops, and the misuse of pesticides lead to environmental pollution and health hazards.
• Market Linkages: Limited market linkages and price fluctuations affect farmers’ income and discourage investment in horticultural production.
• Climate Change: Erratic weather patterns, including unpredictable rainfall and temperature fluctuations, pose challenges to horticultural production and require adaptation strategies.
• Quality Standards and Certification: Meeting quality standards and obtaining certification for export markets can be challenging for small-scale horticultural producers.

Government of India Initiatives for the Promotion of Horticulture Sector

• National Horticulture Mission (NHM): Launched in 2005-06, NHM aims to promote holistic growth of the horticulture sector by enhancing production, productivity, and quality of horticulture crops.
• It focuses on creating infrastructure, providing technical assistance, and promoting market linkages.
• National Horticulture Board (NHB): NHB provides financial assistance, technical guidance, and market intelligence to horticulture growers, processors, and exporters to promote production, processing, and marketing of horticultural crops.
• Cluster Development Program (CDP): The CDP is a component of the central sector scheme of NHB.
• It is aimed at leveraging the geographical specialisation of horticulture clusters and promoting integrated and market-led development of pre-production, production, post-harvest, logistics, branding, and marketing activities.
• So far, 55 horticulture clusters have been identified, out of which 12 have been selected for the pilot.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): MIDH, launched in 2014, integrates various horticulture development schemes under one umbrella to provide holistic support for the entire value chain, from pre-production to post-harvest management and marketing.
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY): RKVY supports states in planning, implementing, and monitoring their horticulture development strategies by providing financial assistance for infrastructure development, capacity building, and other interventions.
• Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM): SMAM supports the adoption of mechanization in horticulture for activities like land preparation, planting, harvesting, and post-harvest management to improve efficiency and reduce labor dependency.

Piezoelectricity

Why in news?

• The Command Hospital Pune performed two successful piezoelectric bone conduction hearing implants, making it the first government hospital in the country to do the medical operations.

What is Piezoelectricity?

Piezoelectric Effect is the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress.

History

Piezoelectricity was discovered in 1880 by Pierre and Paul-Jacques Curie, who found that when they compressed certain types of crystals including quartz, tourmaline, and Rochelle salt, along certain axes, a voltage was produced on the surface of the crystal.

Piezoelectric Principle

• Principle: This property is the result of their unusual crystal structures. Usually, the charges on atoms in the molecules that make them up are symmetric on two sides of an axis.
• When some stress is applied, the molecule becomes distorted and the asymmetry of charges gives rise to a small electric current.
• Some materials also display an inverse piezoelectric effect, where the application of an electric current induces a mechanical deformation.

Applications

• Both direct and inverse piezoelectric materials are used in pressure sensors, accelerometers, and acoustic devices – where their ability to convert mechanical signals into electrical signals is crucial.
• The material is also used in devices such as microphones, phonograph pickups, and wave filters in telephone-communications systems.