Clean Plant Programme

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

In News

• The Clean Plant Programme (CPP) is moving from vision to action, with field-level initiatives like nursery certification, training for authorities, crop-specific diagnostic protocols, and funding guidelines.

The Clean Plant Programme (CPP) 

• It was conceptualized by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.
  • The National Horticulture Board (NHB) serves as an implementing and executing agency in association with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which oversees technical progress and facilitates capacity building.
• It is a novel initiative aimed at ensuring healthy, disease-free planting material of key fruit crops. 

Key Features of CPP

• Farmers:  Access to virus-free, high-quality planting material, for boosting crop yields and enhancing farmer income opportunities.
• Nurseries: Provides streamlined certification processes and offers infrastructure support, enabling nurseries to effectively propagate clean planting material and promote growth and sustainability.
• Consumers: Delivers superior produce free from viruses, improving the taste, appearance, and nutritional value of fruits available to consumers.
• Exports: Strengthens India’s position as a leading global exporter by focusing on higher-quality, disease-free fruits
• Equity and Inclusivity: Ensures affordable clean plant access for all farmers, promotes women’s participation through training and resources, and develops region-specific varieties suited to India’s diverse agro-climatic conditions.

Importance 

• CPP is set to boost India’s horticultural sector while aligning with Mission LiFE and the One Health initiatives to promote sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices. 
• Moreover, through plant health management, CPP helps farmers adapt to climate change, as rising temperatures not only trigger extreme weather events but also influence pest and disease behaviour.
• CPP  complements the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)- a centrally sponsored scheme, launched in 2014–15 for holistic growth of the horticulture sector.

Concerns 

• Climate change and plant diseases, especially from viruses, are causing major agricultural losses in India despite efforts to boost productivity. 
• These threats reduce crop yield, quality, and lifespan, and are hard to manage once symptoms appear.
  • Using disease-free planting materials is the most effective solution. 

Conclusion and Way Forward

• The Clean Plant Programme (CPP) is steadily moving forward, with several initiatives already underway and more planned to expand its impact. 
• In the coming phase, the programme will focus on tangible on-ground actions such as broader consultations with nurseries for certification, development of training modules for relevant authorities, creation of a hazard analysis protocol for citrus, and diagnostic protocols for crops like mango, guava, litchi, avocado, and dragon fruit.

Source :PIB