The State government will take concrete and strategic decisions to improve the quality of life of orange, sweet lime and other citrus fruit growers in Vidarbha and to make the region's fruit production globally competitive, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane said.
He also announced that registration of nurseries with the National Horticulture Board will be made mandatory and grading of all nurseries will be enforced.
Bharane was speaking at a high-level meeting that was recently held in Nagpur to take policy decisions for the sustainable development of citrus growers in Vidarbha. The key agenda of the meeting was to discuss amendments to the Maharashtra Fruit Nurseries (Regulation) Act, 1969, with a focus on citrus crops.
AI Technology
At the meeting, Union Minister and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari directed agricultural universities to submit proposals for setting up 20 model nurseries under their jurisdiction, AI-based machinery for fruit thinning, orange model farms, and other required research initiatives. He assured that substantial assistance would be provided to agricultural universities on a priority basis.
Gadkari also spoke on the importance of fruit cultivation in Vidarbha and outlined measures needed to ensure the progress of farmers in the region.
New Changes
At the meeting, detailed deliberations were held to take concrete decisions on amending the existing nursery law, making it mandatory for orange, sweet lime and other citrus nurseries in Vidarbha to meet the highest quality standards, and introducing clear rules, conditions and essential technical requirements while issuing nursery licences.
The discussions also focused on ensuring that planting material is of superior quality, making standardised quality of rootstock and mother stock mandatory, fixing minimum and maximum limits for sapling production for each nursery operator, and determining an appropriate production ratio.
It was further discussed that existing nurseries should be given a period of three to five years to carry out necessary improvements.
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Published on December 25, 2025
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