New Delhi, Feb 10: The Government of India has restructured the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) as part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening the horticulture sector across the country.
Launched in 2004–05 for the holistic development of horticulture, the NHM was subsumed under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) in 2014–15 to expand its scope. In 2025, the MIDH scheme was further restructured with revised operational guidelines to enhance its outreach and effectiveness.
The revised framework extends coverage to all districts in the country, enhances cost norms for various interventions, and incorporates high-value, exotic, and medicinal crops. It also promotes the adoption of innovative and modern technologies in horticulture.
In addition to structural reforms under MIDH, the government is implementing the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to provide price support for perishable agricultural and horticultural commodities that are not covered under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime. The scheme is designed to protect farmers from distress sales during periods of bumper production when market prices fall below the cost of production.
A new component, the Price Differential Payment (PDP) mechanism, has been introduced under MIS. This allows direct payment of the difference between the Market Intervention Price (MIP) and the actual selling price to farmers for crops traded in APMC mandis.
The government has also permitted reimbursement of transportation and storage costs for TOP crops—Tomato, Onion, and Potato—to central nodal agencies and state-designated agencies for movement from producing to consuming states.
Payments under the MIS are made directly into the bank accounts of registered farmers.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
