Kota's Citrus Centre of Excellence Takes the Lead in National Horticulture Mission

Kota's Centre of Excellence for Citrus has been named the leader among eight similar units nationwide, aimed at enhancing citrus fruit cultivation. Established in 2014 under an Indo-Israel pact, the CoE has trained numerous farmers and developed 27 citrus varieties, boosting farmers' incomes and living standards.

Kota's Centre of Excellence for Citrus (CoE) has been declared the leader among eight such units across the nation, designed to enhance citrus fruit cultivation, an official announced on Friday.

Established in 2014 in Nanta village, Bundi road, under an Indo-Israel partnership for horticultural development, the CoE has trained 22,000 farmers and developed over 27 citrus varieties on a sprawling 9-hectare area. This initiative has significantly increased income and living standards for farmers in the region, according to Deputy Director Rashid Khan.

Its commendable performance has led the Indian government to appoint CoE Kota as the cluster head for the Citrus Indo-Israel Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). This means it now oversees citrus centres in states like Maharashtra, Mizoram, Tripura, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Jammu.

(With inputs from agencies.)