The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare provided details about the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for holistic development of the horticulture sector in India. The scheme provides institutional, technical, and extension support to assist farmers in adopting protected cultivation technologies through various implementing agencies including State Horticulture Missions, Technical Support Groups (TSGs), Precision Farming Development Centres (PFDCs), Centres of Excellence (CoEs), ICAR Institutes, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and other recognized institutions.
Under MIDH, sixty-one crop-specific Centres of Excellence have been established through international cooperation programs including Indo-Israel Cooperation and Indo-Dutch Cooperation, as well as through Research Institutes. These centers serve as demonstration and training facilities and act as sources of elite planting material and vegetable seedlings under protected cultivation. The National Horticulture Board (NHB) additionally provides institutional and technical support through programs such as the Clean Plant Programme and Horticulture Cluster Development Programme.
The scheme's operational guidelines do not contain any specific provision for engagement of NGOs or private sector entities. However, under the Mission Management component, 2.5% of the total annual allocation is provided to State Horticulture Missions for managing various activities at state and district levels. MIDH provides support for strengthening institutional framework for protected cultivation through various centers and offers financial and technical assistance for construction of protected cultivation structures including poly houses, shade net houses, plastic/non-woven cloth tunnels, and walk-in tunnels.
Additional assistance is provided through the National Horticulture Board for promotion of protected cultivation at commercial scale, supporting establishment of integrated commercial horticulture production/processing projects that include components such as planting materials, plantation, irrigation, fertigation, and mechanization. Capacity building and training of farmers and field functionaries is also supported under the Human Resource Development (HRD) component of MIDH.