Resource Book on Horticulture Nursery Management

� Maharashtra Fruit Nursery Act 1969, Regulation 1976 and Amendment 1995
The Maharashtra Fruit Nursery Act was promulgated in the year 1969. The
regulations under the Act were framed in 1976 and several amendments were made
in the year 1995. The Nursery Act is designed for regulation of production of fruit
nursery plants and does not include vegetable, flowers and ornamentals seedlings.
All fruit nurseries under the Act are required to obtain license for operation of
production and sale of fruit plants.
The Act has provisions for,
1. The license fee of Rs 10/- is to be paid along with the application. The renewal
fees of Rs 5/- to be paid for renewal of license period.
2. The period of license is valid for 5 years.
3. Visible display of rates of different nursery plants for sale.
4. Record of mother plants, date of plantation, variety, progeny, location, source of
mother plants, production and sales.
5. Basis for ascertaining the age of nursery plants
i. Sowing date in case of seedlings
ii. Date of planting of cuttings in case of cuttings
iii. Date of sowing for rootstock and date of grafting for grafted plants
iv. Date of layering for plants propagated by layering
6. Essentiality of labeling plants for depiction of crop, variety etc.
7. Duties of nursery license holder under the Act.
8. Conditions of appeal for cancellation of grant, renewal, suspension of license.
Any contravention or breach of provisions of the said Act is liable for penalty of Rs
5000/- or imprisonment for six months or both in case of individual offender. But
when the offence under the Act is committed by the Company or organization, or
representative of the Company, it shall be tried in a competent court of Judicial
Magistrate First Class.
� Quality Standards of Nursery Plants
With a view to ensuring availability of genuine and quality planting material, it is
essential to adopt quality standards for Horticulture Nurseries to facilitate, promote
and monitor production and trade of quality planting materials of horticulture crops
which are propagated vegetatively.
<strong>Resource</strong> <strong>Book</strong> on Horticulture Nursery Management : 239