National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF)

National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF)
  • The National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) was established by National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and its Associate Shippers of onion on 3 November, 1977 under Societies Registration Act, 1860 at New Delhi. During 1989, the Head Office of NHRDF was shifted to Nasik but the Registered Office is at New Delhi .
  • The aim of establishment of NHRDF was to guide the farmers, exporters and others concerned for improving the productivity and quality of horticultural crops in order to make available sufficient quantity for domestic requirement and also to boost up export of onion and other such export oriented horticultural crops in the country. Onion was the first crop on which the NHRDF has started its Research and Development programmes to meet the above mentioned aim and subsequently garlic, okra, chilli, French bean crops etc. have been added.
  • The NHRDF initially started as a small center at New Delhi in 1978 and now it has 5 Regional Research Stations, Laboratories on different aspects and 20 Extension Centers spread all over the major onion and garlic growing pockets of the country. It has also established one Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Ujwa in New Delhi to cater the needs of farmers of Delhi State.
  • The Head Quarter of NHRDF is located 20 km away from Nasik towards North-East on the Nasik-Aurangabad Road at 20 º North Latitude and 73 º 57’ East Longitude at 492 m above mean sea-level at Chitegaon Phata in Niphad Taluka of Nasik district.
    MISSION
  • The mission of NHRDF is to provide technological empowerment to farmers through well- trained manpower and well-organized R&D activities, and efficient extension networking for enhancing the production and productivity, and minimizing post-harvest losses through scientifically developed technologies. The NHRDF would make the programmes to meet 25% of demand of onion and garlic by tapping the potential of unused land and 75% by technological development.
    VISION
  • The vision of NHRDF is to develop equitable, sustainable, economically-viable, environment-friendly, area-specific varieties and technologies with the commitment of enhancing the production and productivity, and minimizing post-harvest losses of onion, garlic and other export-oriented horticultural crops. The NHRDF targets to meet its demand in situation when land is shrinking and water is dwindling through the empowered hands of committed, competent, capable and well-exposed technical manpower of the organization, and also by outsourcing the services of highly skilled and well-exposed scientific fraternity. To
    THE MANDATE
    The mandate of the NHRDF is to:
    • Undertake / conduct research or facilities in research and scientific investigations for the growth and development of varieties of various export-oriented horticultural crops.
    • Establish institutes, laboratories, research centres, model farms, and study teams for promoting better quality and higher yield of horticultural produce, better packaging, suitable transportation and shipping to improve the shelf-life of the produce, and conduct experiments and provide funds for such research work and to educate farmers and disseminate technical know-how and results derived by conducting training programmes, seminars get-togethers, farmers' meets etc.
    • Investigate and conduct research experiments for assessing demands of the horticultural produce of the Indian origin in foreign countries by conducting extensive survey and undertake research and development of horticultural produce with export potential, and to motivate farmers to grow such varieties of horticultural produce with the object of further developing horticultural exports from India.
    • Prepare, edit, print, publish and circulate books, research papers and periodicals bearing upon the growth and development of horticultural produce or other scientific and research activities connected therewith, and to establish and maintain collections, libraries, statistics, scientific data and other information relating thereto.
    • Conduct all aspects of scientific research and developmental activities in the field of horticulture or otherwise conducive to the objectives of the NHRDF provided, however, that none of the activities of NHRDF will be undertaken for profit nor shall it involve any profit motive. Provided, however, that the NHRDF may receive nominal service charges, wherever found necessary in the interest of maintaining financial stability of the
    NHRDF
  • The NHRDF shall provide extended services to the farmers in the form of research and developmental activities, namely seed development, vermicompost, biopesticide production and distribution, and other laboratory services for which NHRDF may collect revenue from the farmers so as to establish a revolving fund or credit to corpus fund for further expansion of research and developmental activities.
  • The research and developmental programmes were initially started on onion and later on garlic was included in the mandate crops. In view of vast export potential, the NHRDF has also extended its R & D programmes on some other export-oriented horticultural crops like okra, French bean, chilli, capsicum and bitter gourd.  

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Last modified: Friday, 13 January 2012, 5:54 AM