Udhampur, September 8:
The Department of Horticulture Udhampur is regularly organizing awareness camps to educate the farming community about the plantation of fruit crops in the rainy season/spring.
In this series, the Horticulture Department on Thursday hosted farmers’ awareness cum interaction programme at Zone Udhampur, Panchayat Jaganoo in which Director Horticulture Jammu Ram Savak,JKAS was chief Guest on the occasion.
Block Development Chairman Sanjeet Sharma, Chief Horticulture Officer Udhampur Rajinder Kumar Lochan , DLSMS, Raman Revati Sharma, HDO Udhampur Ravinder Kumar, HDO Sanjeev Kumar, besides a large number of farmers including women, sarpanch & PRI members of the area participated in the awareness camp.
In a statement issued to mercury times, addressing the gathering of farmers, fruit growers, the Director stressed the need to encourage High Density Plantation in the area. He said that the rainy season is very suitable for new plantations, especially in the Sub-tropical area. He asked the farmers to adopt establish new orchards. “The department is providing every possible assistance to the farmers and they should take the benefits of all the centrally and UT sponsored schemes of the department” he said.
The Director Horticulture deliberated on horticulture departmental schemes and he said the department will help to farmers in setting up of Micro Food Processing units, a landmark initiative of Aatmannirbhar Bharat Abhiyan for the value addition of fruit products which will not only create employment opportunities, but also make the farmers self reliant by enhancing the family income. Further, he urged farmers to adopt integrated farming in their fields and avail the benefits on different components viz: Bore Well, water harvesting tanks, Drip irrigation, Mechanization, protected cultivation, tools & implements etc. for upliftment of their socio- economic status.
Earlier, the Chief Horticulture Officer Rajinder Kumar Lochan impressed upon farmers to go for plantation. He further urged them to establish Custom Hiring Centres/ Farm Machinery Banks for which the department is providing subsidy as these will ultimately generate employment opportunities for the youth.
DLSMS Raman Revati Sharma elaborated in detail about the various schemes of the department in vogue. After persuasion by the officers of the department, on spot enrollment of the farmers for new plantation.
HDO Ravinder Kumar carried out the proceedings of the programme.
