Excelsior Correspondent
PANCHARI, Sept 22: Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Raman Bhalla has said that Government is committed to provide marketing facilities to the farmers at their doorsteps and for this purpose the fruit and vegetable network has been strengthened across the State.
This was stated by the Minister while addressing a large gathering of farmers after inaugurating fruit show-cum-exhibition organized by Horticulture Department in collaboration with Health, Rural Development, Sericulture, Agriculture, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Departments at Panchari in Udhampur district.
Director, Horticulture Anil Kumar Sharma, Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board (JKHB) Ram Pal Sharma, Chief Horticulture Officer Avtar Singh besides farmers in large numbers were present on the occasion.
Mr. Bhalla said that fruit and vegetable growers are playing an important role in marketing the horticulture produce across the country, adding that it is the mainstay of State’s economy. He said that there is dire need to optimally exploit the tremendous potential in horticulture and agriculture allied sectors in the State. He stressed upon mechanization and diversification in farming to make farming a profitable business. He said that the Diesel Ploughs have been introduced for the first time in hilly areas of the State which is showing very good performance and many more farmers have given requirement for the same making the land cultivation in hilly terrain less laborious.
The Minister said that adequate promotion needs to be given to different schemes launched under horticulture sector so that those living in rural areas could get benefit of the same. He called for a change in the mindset of the unemployed youth towards entrepreneurship and asked them to become job providers instead of job seekers.
Mr. Bhalla said that the department is trying its best to reach out to all the farmers to assist them in increasing their production. He said that the farmers should boost the horticulture production supplemented by dairying activity for income generation. He further informed that the farmers should adopt organic farming in their fields to get maximum returns.
Maintaining that Jammu division has great potential of horticulture produce, the Minister advised the farmers to switchover to cash crops like mangoes, amla, alo-vera, guava, lemon galgal, kimb, quince, olive and strawberry instead of traditional crops, adding that these crops have great demand in the market. He said Government also provides attractive incentives for the promotion of horticulture and people should come in a big way to avail these benefits and to help Government in enhancing the GDP rate of the State.
To boost walnut market across the country, Mr. Bhalla said that the Government proposes to set up a Walnut Board in the State to enhance walnut production in a big way on scientific lines, adding that the Jammu and Kashmir State enjoys monopoly on this fruit as it is produced in the Jammu and Kashmir State only in whole country.
The Minister called for close coordination between Horti-culture and Sheri-e-Kashmir Agriculture University of Sciences and Technology (SKAUST) so that maximum farmers are benefited.
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.
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