Shimla: Of the 3,000-hectare target under Phase I of the Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (HPSHIVA) project, 2,612 hectares have been developed, with plantation completed on 1,543 hectares, horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Thursday.The climate-resilient agricultural initiative aims to diversify fruit production away from apples by developing subtropical horticulture across seven low-elevation districts: Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Kangra, Solan, Sirmaur and Una.While reviewing the ADB-funded project in these districts, Negi said about 1,000 hectares will be planted during the ongoing monsoon, while the remaining area will be covered in Jan–Feb 2027, as most plantations involve winter crops such as plum and persimmon.A total of 331 clusters have been identified across 3,000 hectares, benefiting about 10,646 farmer families.For Phase II, survey work is underway, with 2,500 hectares identified and surveys completed on 2,153 hectares. Detailed project reports (DPRs) for 1,200 hectares have been submitted to ADB for technical clearance, and tendering is expected to begin in the last week of Aug after approval.Negi also reviewed progress of civil works like solar fencing, field preparation, drip irrigation and lift irrigation schemes.He said a penalty also has been imposed on two contractors over slow work progress even after repeated follow-ups. The minister has directed the project officers to withhold all the bills of the contractors till the required manpower is not deployed at the cluster sites.
