Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 19 : Minister of State for Agriculture, R&B, Health and Medical Education, Javed Ahmed Dar today asked the Agriculture and allied departments to organise grand workshop once a year to train, educate and update the farmers about new farming techniques and the schemes launched for promotion of the sector.
Reviewing the achievements of department under the agriculture, horticulture and floriculture at a meeting here today, the Minister said such intensive course camps would help the farmers to get desired production and diversify their farming as per the market demands.
He said that farmers should have the knowledge about the schemes in agriculture and allied sectors launched by the Government for their benefit. He said the schemes like Horticulture Technology Mission, Macro Management, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Agriculture Extension Reforms, Vegetable Initiatives for Urban Clusters, National Watershed Development Project have ample potential to revolutionise the agriculture and allied sectors in the State.
Director Agriculture, Ajay Khajuria, Director Horticulture, J. N. Sharma, Director Floriculture K K Sharma and other senior officers of the concerned departments were present in the meeting.
The Minister asked the departmental experts to take up soil testing in various areas to enable farmers to apply crop martinets and fertilizers in precisely worked out quantities. He said this crucial exercise would go a long way in making farming a profitable activity. He also stressed for providing marketing facilities to the fruit and flower growers, adding that these framings are picking up fast in Jammu region.
The Minister asked the Department of Agriculture to devise a mechanism to facilitate beekeepers in marketing the honey in consultation with Jammu and Kashmir Agro-Industries Development Corporation and public and private sector institutions to ensure better returns to the farmers and encourage growth in agriculture sector.
He also stressed that honey melas and buyer-seller meets need to be organised at specifically identified locations to provide a proper and appropriate platform for selling of the produce.
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