Mission For Integrated Development Of Horticulture (MIDH)

The Government of India has come up with several schemes for the welfare of its citizens. One such scheme for horticulture is the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a central government-sponsored scheme for the overarching development and growth of the horticulture sector. The scheme covers various kinds of vegetables and fruits ranging from tuber crops such as potatoes, turnip spices such as turmeric, clove, cardamom mushrooms, aromatic plants and some other coconuts, cashew nuts, cocoa, and a very efficient plant crop, bamboo.

Aims and Objectives of the Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):

The Mission for (MIDH) of the government has numerous objectives:

• The first and foremost aim of the scheme is to work towards overall growth and development of the horticulture sector, which would compulsorily include coconut and bamboo through the basis of a regional differentiation strategy that would include research analysis, promotion of technology, and digital services, extension management of post-harvest residue, processing of the product and adequate marketing. 
• The scheme intends to motivate the farmers to form associations like FIGs/FPOs and FPCs, which would help bring the economy into escalation and widen its scope.
• The MIDH scheme also helps escalate the production of horticulture products, increasing farmers’ income and emboldening nutritional security in the country. 
• It would also improve productivity through quality escalation by using efficient micro-irrigation methods. 
• The scheme aims to support skill development programs and generate enough employment opportunities for youth in rural areas, especially in the cold chain arena.

Structure of the Mission For Integrated Development Of Horticulture:

• The Mission is organized on three levels: national, state, and district. 
• There is a General Council (GC) and an Executive Committee at the national level (EC). The Union Agriculture Minister serves as the chair of the GC, which provides overall guidance. 
• The mission’s actions are overseen by the Executive Committee (EC), which is presided over by the Secretary (Agriculture & Cooperation). 
• The EC also analyses progress and approves the Annual Action Plans (AAPs) of the States and National Level Agencies. 
• Similarly, the implementation of the Mission is overseen at the State level by an Executive Committee chaired by the Agriculture Production Commissioner or Secretary Horticulture/Agriculture. 
• Project formulation and monitoring are the responsibilities of the District Mission Committee (DMC), which is presided over by the CEO of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Zila Parishad.

Beneficiaries of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):

Beneficiaries under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) are the following:

• MIDH covers all categories of farmers, including women beneficiaries.
• The Planning Commission has instructed State Horticulture Missions to make sure that at least 30% of each year’s budget allocation goes to women beneficiaries and farmers.

Funding of the Mission For Integrated Development Of Horticulture:

The Appropriation for the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) in 2018 has been the following described below.

• The Government of India (GOI) contributes 60% of the total outlay for developmental programs in all the states under MDH, excluding states in North East and the Himalayas and State Governments contribute 40% share. 
• GOI contributes 90% in the case of the North-Eastern States and the Himalayan while State Governments contribute 40% share.
• India’s government provides 100% funding for National Level Agencies (NLA) and UTs.
• Similarly, GOI will contribute 100 percent to the development of bamboo and the programs of the National Horticulture Board (NHB), Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH), Coconut Development Board (CDB), and the National Level Agencies (NLA).  

Sub Schemes of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):

• The National Horticulture Mission (NHM): which is carried out by the State Horticulture Missions, aims to boost horticulture industry output. Learn more about the Golden Revolution and the National Horticulture Mission by clicking the link.
• National Horticulture Board (NHB): This organization oversees the state and UT implementation of the various MIDH programs.
• Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH): It is carried out by the state horticulture missions of the northeastern and Himalayan states.
• The Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH): It was founded at Medziphema, Nagaland, in 2006–2007 to provide technical support to farmers and field workers in the North Eastern Region through developing their capacities.
• National Bamboo Mission (NBM): For the fiscal years 2014–15 and 2015–16, the MIDH took over the National Bamboo Mission, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme that had been in place since the 2006–07 fiscal year.
• Coconut Development Board (CDB): It carries out the MIDH’s plans in all the states where coconuts are grown.

Achievements

• The total land planted with horticulture crops has grown significantly attributable to MIDH.
• India produced 320.77 million tons of horticulture in 2019–20, which was a record high.
• From 2014–15 to 2019–20, the area and production have grown by 9 and 14 percent, respectively.
• It has made a substantial contribution to raising the agricultural output and farmland productivity.
• The MIDH program has helped India become self-sufficient in the horticulture industry while simultaneously advancing the achievement of other sustainable development goals, such as gender equality, ending hunger, no poverty, good health, wellbeing, etc.

Conclusion:

The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme has the objective of developing horticulture crops, processing the product, preventing loss of post-harvest items, and use of technology in adequate marketing of the products. The variable cropping patterns are beneficial in increasing the availability of fruits, vegetables, and other Horticulture crops all around the year, and this is one of the primary aims of the scheme to make such products available to the customers at feasible prices and at the same time provides economic sustainability to the producers as well.