The document summarizes the operationalization of a tissue culture lab and farm in Chauntra, Himachal Pradesh through a public-private partnership between the DRDA Mandi, CSIR-IHBT Palampur, and GreenTech Agri-Sector Pvt. Ltd. The partnership aims to commercially produce economically important plants using advanced tissue culture techniques to benefit farmers. GreenTech will manage the operational aspects of the lab and farm with support from DRDA for infrastructure development and technology transfer from CSIR-IHBT.

1. Operationalization of Tissue Culture Lab and Farm at Chauntra
and Commercial production of Economic plants through Public
Private Partnership between DRDA Mandi,CSIR-IHBT Palampur
and GreenTech Agri-Sector Pvt. Ltd. Nerchowk, Mandi,
Himanchal Pradesh
Rajender Thakur
Managing Director
GreenTech Agri-Sector Pvt.Ltd,NH-21,Lunapani,Mandi,(HP)-175008
Website: www.greentechagri.net,Email:greentechmandi@gmail.com
Phone No.+911905-242201,Mobile No.+9198160-80580

3. A. No. Country Area Hec. Yield Metric Production
1000 tons/hectare 1000 Metric tons
1. New 12 43 527
Zealand
2. Italy 60 33.9 2052
3. Chile 36 30.1 1083
4. France 78 29.8 2323
5. United 162 24.9 4021
States
6. China 2047 9.9 20286
7. India 247 5.5 1367

4. Apple Rejuvenation Project
To replace old and senile plantations with new high-yielding varieties a project worth
Rs 85-crore is implemented by Dept. of Hort. From 2011 for five years
To avoid mono-culturing of commercial varieties without pollinating varieties and
increase sustainability Horticulture Department has made it mandatory to plant at least 33
per cent pollinators in every orchard
There is a target to cover 5,000 ha area under this project in five years for benefiting
about 10,000 growers
Old orchards had 250-300 plants/ ha whereas under the rejuvenation project high-density
plantations with a density of 700-800 plants/ ha would be raised
Out of the total 96,000 ha under apple in the state, 13 per cent required rejuvenation
12,700 ha of old orchards planted before 1965 and the maximum senile orchards, spread
over 6,325 ha in district Shimla of which 2,500 ha have been covered under the project and
in district Kullu out of 3,212 ha of aged plantations 1,250 ha will be rejuvenated

5. Contd..
To opt this technology there should not be clean felling of old orchards upto the establishment of
new plants
For rejuvenation of these orchards highly productive semi-dwarf spurs varieties grafted on new
rootstocks , which required much less space, can be inter-planted in the existing orchards
Good plants can be retained and extend their productive life through grafting
A number of self-pollinating varieties which also have commercial value like top red, gale gala,
fuji and Vance gracious etc. can be planted
Such a huge demand can be fulfilled in targeted period only through tissue cultured plants

6. Demand for Tissue Culture raised plants is growing rapidly in the state as
farmers are aware about the quality of planting material.
Although planting material is produced under different Govt. schemes
such as RKVY & NVIUVC, in agricultural Department and HMNEH
(HTM) & RKVY in horticulture Department
To achieve the huge demand of planting material for farmers, Govt.
schemes like Apple Rejuvenation Project, ATMA, JICA Various rural
development agencies such as DRDA, DDP, HPMHWP, etc, who purchase
Tissue Culture raised plants
Forest department also purchase endangered medicinal plants, high
quality bamboo and chandan plants for its scheme of Jan Jan Sanjivani /
Sanja Van Sanjivani yojna.

7. Latest lab technology developed by various state level and national level institutions
like IHBT, CSK HPKV Palampur, Dr.YS Parmar University of Horticulture and
Forestry, Nauni Solan, IARI and ICAR Institute on micro propagation of economic
plants, commercial crop production and post harvest management shall be adopted
and implemented in the project
The plants produced through this technology will be provided to farmers at
reasonable rates
On farm demonstrations in colaboration with DRDA at their farms in Dist. Mandi
will be layed
Training programmes will be conducted for cultivation, postharvest management
and marketing

8. Plan of action
S. No. Month Activity Remarks
1. Jan. 2012 Signing of lease agreement with DRDA DRDA & Green Tech
Joint committee of
2. Jan. 2012 Appointment of manpower DRDA, IHBT & Green
Tech
3. Jan. 2012 Submission of budget proposal Green Tech
4. Jan. 2012 Functioning of Lab by Green tech Green Tech
5. Jan. 2012 Opening of separate bank account Green Tech
6. Jan. 2012 Starting of Krishi Samridhi a farmer magazine Green Tech
7. Feb. 2012 Agreement for transfer of technology Green Tech & IHBT
8. Feb. 2012 Selection of mother stock for commercial production Green Tech & IHBT
9. Feb. 2012 Cutting of trees DRDA
10. Feb. 2012 Submission of proposal to DRDA Mandi for the creation Green Tech
of necessary infrastructure
11. Feb. 2012 Procumbent of seed, planting material for flower nursery Green Tech
12. Feb. 2012 Proposal of bank loan Green Tech
13. Feb. 2012 Establishment of office related infrastructure Green Tech

9. Contd..
14. Feb. 2012 Installation of water purification and firefighting system DRDA
15. Feb. 2012 Setup of sale out let cum watch man hut DRDA
16. March 2012 Starting of sale center for Agri-Horti forestry inputs Green Tech
17. March 2012 Creation of water storage facility DRDA
18. March 2012 Installation of mist propagation chamber DRDA
19. March 2012 Installation of automatic irrigation system DRDA
20. March 2012 Installation of cold store DRDA
21. March 2012 Generator set DRDA
22. April 2012 Functioning of conference cum training hall. DRDA
23. April 2012 Inauguration of Tissue Culture lab and farm DRDA, Green
Tech & IHBT
24. June 2012 Establishment of scientist cum working staff hostel DRDA
25. July 2012 Contract farming for hardening of plants Green Tech
26. Sep. 2012 Demonstration and training to SHGS on commercial crops Green Tech
27. Oct. 2012 Tie up with national & international agencies for of technology Green Tech
28 Nov.2012 Training of farmer and extension worker Green Tech &
DRDA

10. S. No. Name Designation Qualification Experience
1. Sh. Rajender C.E.O. M.Sc. Agri. Prop. Cum MD, Green Tech Agri. Sector Pvt.
Thakur Ltd. Ner-chowk Distt. Mandi (H.P)
2. Sh. D.S. Manager TCL & B.Sc. (Agri.) Ex-Project Officer NCUI New Delhi (10 year)
Verma Farm Horti. Farm manager in Green Tech
3. Priyanka Sood Scientist Ph.D. Biotech. Senior Research Fellow in the CSIR – IHBT
(Trainee) Palampur (3 years)
4. Kalpana Lab Technician M.Sc. Biotech. Practical experience in Plant Tissue Culture
Thakur (Trainee) Technique
5. Vandna Operator B.Sc. (Non Med.) 20 days Tissue Culture training at IHBT
Thakur (Trainee) Palampur through Green (2011)
6. Roshani Devi Lab cum office 10+2 -Do-
helper
7. Diwan C. Office Incharge B.Sc. (N.M), & Working as a Office Incharge in Green Tech Agri.
Bhardwaj DCA Sector Pvt. Ltd.
8. Ranjeet Singh Trained hort. 10+2 & diploma Self employed in gardening
gardener in gardening
9. Surjeet Singh Security Guard 10th DRDA (10 years)
10. Bhim Singh Nursery 10th DRDA (10 years) experience of nursery growing
supervisor and flower cultivation.
11. Gajropa Office Attendant 10th DRDA (10 years)
cum cleaner

11. Funds request
 DRDA for creating basic infrastructure
 Mist propagation chamber -10 lac
 Working staff hostel -15 lac
 Cold store facility -10 lac
 Sale counter -03 lac
 Electricity generator unit -05 lac
 Water purification unit -02 lac
 Fire fighting equipments -02 lac
 Training cum conference hall-03 lac
 Total-50 lacs
 GreenTech for operational expenses
 Soft loan from DRDA Mandi -25lac
 Loa with CC limit from PNB-100 lac
 NHB, DBT, HMNEH and state government
agencies for their on going projects-to be proposed
 Total-125 lacs

12. Objectives
 Past objectives of DRDA Project:
 Multiplication of high value planting material of medicinal
plants, aromatic plants, flowers and orchids.
 Training of local people in their cultivation and harvesting.
 Organization of SHGs of local farmers for cultivation, harvesting
and marketing of produce.
 Cultivation of alternate high value crops.
 Creating basic infrastructure.
 Processing of selective plants for value addition.
 Marketing of primary as well as processed products
 Cumulative objectives of GreenTech:
 Mass propagation of quality flowers, potato, medicinal and fruit plants of commercial importance
by adopting latest tissue culture techniques for enhancing production, productivity and availability.
 To create wealth for farming community by providing quality planting material and related inputs
along with latest cultivation techniques for commercial crop production, post harvest management
and marketing to end users.
 To link public schemes related with agriculture, horticulture, forestry, watershed and rural
development by providing technical knowhow and consultancy services to farmer groups and
government agencies at their doorsteps

13. Present & Future strategies
 Present Status
 Lab & Farm area-4000sqm
 Tissue cultured plants production capacity-1.25 million plants/annum
 Greenhouses-1000sqm
 Nethouse-800sqm
 Mother plants maintained-4500
 Boundary wall under construction
 Proposal for removal of Safeda plants under consideration.
 Sale outlet cum watchman hut under consideration.
 Future Plan
 Installation of mist propagation chamber.
 Installation of cold store facility
 Creation of water storage and automatic irrigation system.
 Creation of residential facility for working staff.
 Installation of electricity generator, water purification and fire fighting
systems
 Farms for demonstration and secondary hardening of tissue cultured plants.
 Tie up with MNCs for cultivation, post harvest management and marketing to

14. Plan of action
 This Project is under PPP mode between DRDA Mandi (will create necessary
infrastructure), CSIR-IHBT and other national level institutes ( will provide technology)
and Green Tech (will manage operational and management issues of tissue culture lab
and farms
 After signing lease agreement with DRDA Mandi, Greentech will adopt the best
available technologies in the world for micro propagation of flowers, potato, medicinal
and fruit plants in the world
 Mist propagation chamber, water storage and automatic irrigation system, electricity
generation and water purification unit and fire fighting unit will be installed by DRDA
at Tissue culture lab and farm Chauntra
 Residential facility for working staff and sale cum watchmen hut will be created by
DRDA Mandi
 In the first year Apple rootstock and Potato tubers will be produced through
micropropagation,
 In the second year carnation, lilium, chrysanthemum, pomegranate, kiwi will be started
 In third year onward new introduction of blueberries, blackberries, seabuckthorn, yam
and avocado will be done along with propagation of endangered medicinal plants to
explore new market potential.

15. Chronology of Tissue Culture lab and Farm development :

16. About DRDA Mandi
DRDA Mandi implement and monitor all rural development programmes to provide guaranteed
wage employment to the needy persons in rural areas, who are willing to do unskilled manual work
In 2002 Government of India has approved a Project entitled, “Rural Development through
Diversification in Agriculture” under SGSY (Special Projects) Component with total budget of Rs.
1385.32 lacs
This project included subsidy of Rs.1204.00 lacs, and Rs. 181.32 lacs as loan component out of which,
an expenditure of Rs. 873.30 lacs has been incurred up to March, 2011
Under ‘Cultivation of Medicinal plants, Aromatic plants, Flowers and Orchids components of this
project, 10 Poly houses cum demonstration farm were established in different location of District
Mandi along with one tissue culture laboratory at Chauntra with technical support of CSIR-IHBT
The tissue culture laboratory was inaugurated by the Hon’able PWD and Revenue Minister Thakur
Gulab Singh on dated 8th Jan. 2003
The objective of this lab is to propagate disease free high quality planting material through tissue
Culture technique and make them available to the farmers of adjoining areas and state for the
popularization of high value commercial crops such as flowers & orchids, medicinal and aromatic
plants, for better return in the competitive market and thus to raise their socio-economic status

17. About IHBT Palampur
The institute of Himalayan Bio-resources Technology is situated at Palampur, Dist.
Kangra
Its mandate is to provide R&D services in this region leading to value added plants,
products and processes for social, industrial and environmental benefits and has
impeccable record of setting up such tissue culture labs for other state departments of
Himachal/ Haryana and training of the personnel there offs

18. The Government is focusing on crop diversification by
sifting from traditional to high value commercial cropping
system such as flowers, vegetables, fruits, medicinal &
aromatic plants along with adoption of new technologies
like a tissue culture to increase the production,
productivity and quality
The present Government of Himachal Pradesh has
made tremendous efforts in making farming more
lucrative for employment generation with public private
sector partnership
On the basis of this objective DRDA Mandi started a
project on agriculture diversification & started Tissue
Culture Lab facility at Chauntra in colaboration with
IHBT Palampur, a CSIR organization for technology
transfer and agri-professional private concern M/S Green
tech Agri. Sector Pvt. Ltd.

19. About Green Tech Agri. Sector Pvt. Ltd
Agri-professional private limited company established in March 2009
Situated at Lunapani on NH-21, Balh valley, Dist. Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
Deal with greenhouses, irrigation, biotechnology and consultancy.
It has three divisions- Greenhouse & Irrigation, Biotechnology & Agri- inputs, and
Technology transfer ( Krishi Samridhi) & consultancy
Greenhouse & Irrigation- Ner chowk, Dist. Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
Biotechnology & Agri- inputs- Chauntra near Joginder Nagar, Dist. Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
Technology transfer ( Krishi Samridhi) & consultancy- Ner chowk, Dist. Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

20. Backward linkages
 DRDA Mandi  GreenTech Mandi
 Introduction of new crops of flowers,  Introduce high quality planting material
aromatic & medicinal plants of flowers,fruits and medicinal plants.
 To provide training, inputs and planting  To provide complete package of inputs
material along with technical knowhow.
 To develop greenhouse facilities and  To provide trainings to farmer groups on
related infrastructure at the farmers cultivation,post harvest management and
level marketing of produce.

21. Forward Linkages
 DRDA Mandi  GreenTech Mandi
 Creation of cold store  Collaboration with national and
 Creation of transportation facilities like international retail companies for
refrigerated vans cultivation, postharvest management and
 Collection cum processing centre marketing
 Introduction of exotic crop like
 To identify new markets for the sale of
produce blueberries, black berries, yams and
avocado
 To link with various central sponsored
 To provide advance trainings to agri-
schemes
professionals and farmers.