Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netrayahu during their Gujarat visit will meet at the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables at Vadrad in Prantij taluka in Sabarkanta district.

The two prime ministers will unveil a permanent iconic monument, go around the plug nursery and poly house, and interact with progressive farmers.

The only Centre of its kind in the state is jointly built by National Horticulture Mission Horticulture Department at a cost of Rs.12-crore as a joint enterprise between India and Israel. It was as per MoU signed between the two countries during Vibrant Global Summit to maximize yield, help farmers increase their income. The saplings are priced at lower than market rates. It is an improvement over traditional methods of grafting and planting saplings.

It was built in 2013 with a view to providing technically advanced education, modern training and demonstration of integrated 50-lakh disease-free saplings of mainly vegetable which can be planted in adverse agro-climatic conditions and that can withstand insects and pests.

A fine example of protected farming, it has greenhouse, net house with screening and grading, sorting, cutting and packaging facilities. It also has experimental and exhibition plots, germination chamber, micro-irrigation, retail outlet, besides an administrative wing. It proposes to next grow honey and organic crops.

Gujarat’s Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Agriculture Minister R.C. Faldu and other dignitaries are also scheduled to be present there.

– Information