Honest scope
DNH & DD is a small UT with a compact agricultural footprint — Dadra & Nagar Haveli has ~17,000 ha cultivated area, Daman ~2,000 ha and Diu ~500 ha. The cluster programme is therefore tightly focused on high-value horticulture crops that suit the coastal-konkan climate and the tribal-cultivator base of the inland Silvassa region.
Crops covered
- Cashew — Silvassa belt and Diu coastal pockets; grafted Vengurla and Goa cultivars on 75% subsidy planting material.
- Mango — Alphonso and Kesar in Daman + Silvassa; high-density plantation support, ratooning + canopy management training, MIDH convergence on grading and pack-house.
- Kokum (Garcinia indica) — a fast-growing premium niche for kokum sherbet, agarbatti, and food-acidulant applications; cultivar Konkan Amrita and local selections supplied via tissue-culture route.
- Drumstick (moringa) — fast ROI crop for tribal cultivators; PKM-1 and Bhagya cultivars; convergence with NMNF for organic cultivation.
- Sapota and coconut — coastal Daman and Diu; replanting subsidy convergent with CDB pattern.
Component breakdown
- Planting material: 75% subsidy on tissue-culture / grafted planting material from empanelled nurseries; 100% for ST (Dhodi, Warli, Kokna, Dubla) cultivators.
- Drip + farm pond: 75% (general) to 90% (SC/ST) subsidy under PMKSY-PDMC convergence; drip layout typically paired with mulching for cashew and mango orchards.
- Cashew processing micro-unit: 50% capital subsidy on a basic cashew-shelling + drying + grading line under PMFME convergence; market linkage to Goa, Gujarat and Mumbai cashew processors.
- Kokum processing: solar drying + sherbet bottling micro-units; cluster-level grading and packaging.
How to apply
- Apply via agri.dnh.gov.in or visit your Tehsil Agriculture / Horticulture Office. Cluster villages identified in Khanvel, Mandoni, Dadra, Silvassa, Daman, Diu — enrolment is via cluster-village register.
- Submit DNH/DD revenue land record, Aadhaar, bank account, ST certificate (for priority slab), crop area + GPS.
- Block Horticulture Officer inspects and issues sanction; planting material is released from empanelled nursery; drip kit and farm pond are routed via PMKSY-PDMC.
- For processing micro-units, submit DPR + bank sanction; PMFME convergence cleared by the District Resource Person.
Latest changes (2024 — 2026)
- 2024: Tissue-culture kokum plant supply scaled up via Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth tie-up; first kokum processing cluster operationalised in Khanvel.
- 2025: Mango high-density plantation pilot in Daman; canopy management training rolled out.
- 2025-26: Drumstick + moringa export-pilot via Mumbai port to UAE; second cashew cluster planned in Silvassa.
Common rejection reasons
- Land record dispute: DNH tribal land is often community-held; ST certificate + Tribal Welfare attestation required.
- Wrong nursery: planting material from non-empanelled nurseries doesn't qualify for subsidy.
- Drip layout mismatch: drip layout must follow Horticulture Dept prescription; non-compliant layouts are rejected at PMKSY level.
Coverage
~5,000 cultivator households across the notified cluster villages benefit annually. Cashew acreage in DNH & DD has grown from ~600 ha to ~1,200 ha over the past decade partly because of this programme; kokum acreage has more than doubled. Annual outlay is ~₹25 — ₹50 cr inclusive of PMKSY/PMFME/ MIDH convergence.
How this stacks with other schemes
MIDH covers horticulture infrastructure; PMFME covers micro-processing (₹10 lakh cap); PMKSY-PDMC covers drip; AIF covers term loan interest subvention for larger units. PM-KISAN, KCC-MISS and PMFBY run in standard form. DNH Tribal Cultivator Welfare covers the tribal cultivator base specifically.