1. Re-structuring of NATIONAL HORTICULTURE MISSION (NHM)

The National Horticulture Mission, originally launched in 2004-05, has undergone a significant evolution to address the changing dynamics of Indian agriculture. Its recent re-structuring under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) in 2025 marks a strategic shift toward high-value crops, technological integration, and price stability for farmers. Core Summary of the Re-structured Mission • Universal Coverage: The 2025 re-structuring expands the MIDH framework to include all districts across India, ensuring no geographical gaps in horticultural support. • Enhanced Cost Norms: Financial assistance for various interventions has been upwardly revised to reflect current market costs, improving the viability of farm-level investments. • Diversification & High-Value Crops: New guidelines specifically prioritize exotic fruits, medicinal plants, and high-value crops to increase farmer income and meet shifting consumer demands. • Technological Modernization: The mission emphasizes the adoption of innovative technologies, including precision farming, protected cultivation (poly-houses), and advanced irrigation systems. • Market Intervention Support: Through the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), the government provides a safety net for perishable commodities not covered by the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime. • Price Differential Payment (PDP): A new component allows direct payment of the difference between the Market Intervention Price (MIP) and the actual selling price in APMC mandis to the farmers’ bank accounts. Key Terms & Definitions • Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): A Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector, covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa, and bamboo. • Market Intervention Scheme (MIS): An ad-hoc scheme implemented on the request of State Governments for the procurement of perishable agricultural/horticultural commodities in the event of a bumper crop and falling prices. • TOP Crops: Refers to Tomato, Onion, and Potato—the three most essential and price-sensitive vegetable commodities in the Indian kitchen. • Price Differential Payment (PDP): A mechanism where farmers are compensated for the price gap in the market without the government physically procuring the entire stock. Constitutional & Legal Provisions • Article 48: A Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) that directs the State to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines. • Entry 14 (State List): Agriculture, including agricultural education and research, protection against pests and prevention of plant diseases, falls under the jurisdiction of individual states. • Entry 33 (Concurrent List): Trade and commerce in, and the production, supply, and distribution of, food-stuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils, which allows the Central Government to implement missions like MIDH. Additional Keypoints: Logistics & Transport• Infrastructure Support: The scheme now includes reimbursement for transportation and storage costs for TOP crops to prevent post-harvest losses and bridge the gap between producing and consuming states. • Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): All payments under the MIS and PDP are mandated to be made directly into the Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of registered farmers to ensure transparency and eliminate leakages. UPSC Relevance • GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. • GS Paper III: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System; Economics of animal-rearing; Food processing and related industries in India. • Prelims: Specific focus on \'TOP\' crops, MIS vs. MSP, and the transition of NHM to MIDH. Conclusion The re-structuring of the National Horticulture Mission reflects a transition from basic production-centric goals to a market-linked, technology-driven approach. By integrating price protection mechanisms like PDP and expanding the scope to include medicinal and exotic crops, the government aims to de-risk the horticulture sector and double farmer incomes through high-value diversification and robust post-harvest management.