The National Horticulture Board (NHB) was set up by the Government of India in 1984 as an
Autonomous organization under the administrative control of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare and registered as a society under Societies Registration Act with its headquarters at
Gurugram. Presently, NHB has 29 field offices located all over the country. The broad aims and
objectives of the Board are to develop production clusters/hubs for integrated Hi-tech
commercial horticulture, development of Post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure, ensuring
availability of quality planting material and to promote adoption of new technologies/tools/
techniques for Hi-tech commercial horticulture etc.
Aims & Objectives of NHB Schemes
The main objectives of the NHB are to improve integrated development of Horticulture industry and to help in coordinating,
sustaining the production and processing of fruits and vegetables. Detailed objectives of the Board are as under:-
- Development of hi-tech commercial horticulture in identified belts and make such areas vibrant with horticultural activity, which in turn will act as hubs for development of horticulture.
- Development of modern post-harvest management infrastructure as an integral part of area expansion projects or as common facility for cluster of projects.
- Development of integrated, energy efficient cold chain infrastructure for fresh horticulture produce.
- Popularization of identified new technologies / tools / techniques for commercialization / adoption, after carrying out technology and need assessment.
- Assistance in securing availability of quality planting material by promoting setting up of scion and root stock banks / mother plant nurseries and carrying out accreditation / rating of horticulture nurseries and need based imports of planting material.
- Promotion and market development of fresh horticulture produce.
- Promotion of field trials of newly developed/imported planting materials and other farm inputs; production technology; PHM protocols, INM and IPM protocols and promotion of applied R&D programmes for commercialization of proven technology.
- Promotion of Farm Mechanization in Horticulture through demonstration and its uses at farmers field level to reduce labour cost and increase the productivity of Horticulture crops.
- Promotion of applied R & D for standardizing PHM protocols, prescribing critical storage conditions for fresh horticulture produce, bench marking of technical standards for cold chain infrastructure etc.
- Transfer of technology to producers/farmers and service providers such as gardeners, nurserymen, farm level skilled workers, operators in cold storages, work force carrying out post harvest management including processing of fresh horticulture produce and to the master trainers.
- Promotion of consumption of horticulture produce and products.
- Promoting long distance transport solution for bulk movement of horticulture produce through rail etc.
- Carrying out studies and surveys to identify constraints and develop short and long term strategies for systematic development of horticulture and providing technical services including advisory and consultancy services.
