In order to boost the agricultural development and enhance the farm income in the rural areas, it is important to increase the productivity of the existing cultivated area, through shifting from self-subsistence crop cultivation to diversified agriculture, by adopting cash crops such as vegetables cultivation suitable in hilly and highland areas.

HPCDP JICA Project aims at promoting crop diversification in the target area of five districts (Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi and Una) in the State of Himachal Pradesh, India through development of necessary infrastructure such as irrigation facilities and farm access roads, in parallel with technical training for farmers on vegetable cultivation, food grain cultivation and post-harvesting technology. The Project will newly develop or rehabilitate existing facilities in approximately 210 irrigation schemes in the area to bring additional area of 3,712 Ha under assured irrigation, and will construct or improve 100 km of 147 access farm roads. In each of the 210 sub-project sites, technical training are being extended to farmers on themes necessary for crop diversification, such as vegetables cultivation, food grain cultivation and post-harvesting technology. Farmers Group and Self-Help Group will be formed in each sub-project, for the sake of collective activities such as hands-on training of vegetable cultivation, collection and sale of products, and operation and maintenance of irrigation facilities.

The HPCDP Project, covered 210 sub-projects which is being implemented in phase manner by the Project Management Unit (PMU) in which 3 District-level PMU and 8 Block-level PMU established under Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Development Society of the Project.