On 21st January 2021, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the “Horticulture
Development Mission” in the state with an aim:
1. to double the income of the farmers involved in horticulture and medicinal farming
2. to provide waste land of the state government on 45 year lease for forming of horticulture and medicinal crops
3. to cover 7 districts of the state as the part of first phase
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Correct option is A

The correct answer is: (a) 1 only
Explanation:
· Statement 1 is correct:
· The main goal of the Horticulture Development Mission (Bagayat Vikas Mission) was to double farmers' income through horticulture and medicinal plant farming.
· Statement 2 is incorrect:
· The mission involves leasing government wastelands, but the lease period was 30 years, not 45 years.
· Statement 3 is incorrect:
· The scheme was launched initially in 5 districts, not 7.
Information Booster:
· The five districts included in the first phase were Surendranagar, Kutch, Patan, Banaskantha, and Sabarkantha.
· The scheme promotes horticulture, floriculture, and medicinal farming.
· Focus on utilizing non-cultivable government land to boost agri-economy.
· Supports the vision of Atmanirbhar Gujarat and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
· It encourages public-private partnership (PPP) in agriculture.
Additional Knowledge:
· Gujarat is one of the leading states in horticulture production, especially in cumin, banana, and castor.
· The scheme aligns with the Doubling Farmers’ Income target set by the central government.
· Medicinal plants like ashwagandha and tulsi are being encouraged under the scheme.
· This mission also helps address the issue of land underutilization in arid and semi-arid zones.