Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 22: Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Raman Bhalla today said that the Government proposes to set up a Walnut Board in the State to give boost to the Walnut production in a big way on scientific lines. He said emphasizes will be also laid on the value addition of walnut kernel’s adding that the Jammu and Kashmir enjoys monopoly on this fruit as it is produced in the Jammu and Kashmir only in whole country.
Speaking at a high level meeting of officers convened to review the overall functioning of the Horticulture Department here, the Minister said need of the hour is to exploit the optimum potential in the sector by setting up of walnut scientific processing units in various areas of the State. He said that this is key source to ensure the economic growth of the State in general and farming community in particular as horticulture is the back bone of the State’s economy.
The Minister called for close coordination between Hortic-ulture and Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University of Sciences and Technology (SKAUST-K) so that maximum farmers are benefited.
The Minister directed for judicious use of funds available under the horticulture sector. He said various Centrally sponsored schemes are meant for the farmers with an aim to improve their living standard. He appealed the farmers to come forward and take advantage of these schemes.
The Minister directed the concerned to provide hi-yielding varieties of plants to the farmers and said that there will be no compromise on quality of the material being provided to the needy persons.
The Minister directed the officers of the Horticulture to sensitize the farmers about the latest technologies of science so that the same could percolate to the growers in the field. He said, there is also need to train the horticulture interventions, adding that the university needs to draw up a calendar of short term training programmes to be conducted either at the varsity or by way of workshops to be held in the office premises of the department across the Valley.
Discussing the basic Horticulture Training Course being imparted through the University for both the unemployed and in-service candidates of the Department, the Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof Taj Partap Singh assured the meeting that the University needed to increase the intake levels in line with the felt requirements of the department in this regard.
Earlier, Commissioner Secretary, Agriculture Produ-ction Department Asgar Samoon briefed the meeting about the activities of the department.
Among others, Director Horticulture Kashmir Sonam Narboo, Director Horticulture Planning and Marketing Ati-u-Rehman Natnoo, Managing Director, JKHPMC Ltd Syed Rafiq Ahmad Furrahi and other concerned officers were present in the meeting.
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