In News:

• The Clean Plant Programme (CPP), conceptualized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is emerging as a transformative initiative aimed at ensuring healthy, disease-free planting material of key fruit crops.
• Approved by the Union Cabinet, CPP is implemented by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) with technical guidance from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Background and Rationale

India faces growing challenges to plant health from climate change, pests, and systemic pathogens, especially viruses, which significantly reduce crop quantity, quality, and longevity. By the time disease symptoms manifest, management in the field becomes difficult and often ineffective. Providing disease-free planting material has therefore been recognized as the most efficient preventive strategy.

CPP aligns with broader initiatives such as Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) and the National One Health Mission, promoting sustainable, eco-friendly agriculture and integrated management of human, animal, and environmental health risks.

Key Features of CPP

• For Farmers: Ensures access to virus-free, high-quality planting material to improve yields, income, and resilience against climate-induced pest and disease pressures.
• For Nurseries: Streamlined certification, infrastructure support, and technical guidance help nurseries propagate clean material efficiently.
• For Consumers: Delivers superior-quality fruits free from viruses, enhancing taste, appearance, and nutritional value.
• For Exports: Strengthens India’s global position by promoting high-quality, disease-free fruits.
• Equity and Inclusivity: Facilitates affordable access for all farmers, engages women in training and decision-making, and develops region-specific varieties for India’s diverse agro-climatic zones.

Investment and Implementation

CPP represents an investment of ?1,765.67 crore, including an ADB loan of $98 million. Key developments include:

• Nine Clean Plant Centres across India, including three in Maharashtra for grapes (Pune), oranges (Nagpur), and pomegranates (Solapur).
• Financial support for nurseries: ?3 crore for large nurseries and ?1.5 crore for medium nurseries. Expected annual production of 8 crore disease-free seedlings.
• Establishment of a national-level research laboratory in Pune for original plant species research.
• International collaboration with countries such as Israel and the Netherlands.

On-Ground Actions and Progress

• Hazard Analysis (HA): Virus profiling for grapevine, apple, and citrus crops, forming the foundation for Clean Plant Centers and certification.
• Nursery and Lab Assessments: NHB, ICAR, and ADB teams evaluated nurseries and laboratories across states for readiness, infrastructure, and bioinformatics capability.
• Clean Plant Propagation: Material testing, virus elimination through tissue culture, heat, or cryotherapy, and distribution through accredited nurseries to farmers.
• Digital and Resource Platforms: CPP website serves as a central hub for updates, resources, and technical guidance.

Alignment with Other Initiatives

• Mission LiFE: Encourages sustainable environmental practices and individual/community-level action to conserve natural resources.
• National One Health Mission: Integrates human, animal, and environmental health to manage disease risks and improve productivity.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): CPP complements MIDH’s goals of providing quality planting material and micro-irrigation to enhance horticultural productivity, which has increased from 12.10 MT/ha (2019–20) to 12.56 MT/ha (2024–25, 2nd advance estimates).