Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 12: Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir today said that introduction of modern agriculture techniques has started showing results on the ground and Government was now focusing on to provide market linkages to help the farmers to get better returns of their produce.
The Minister said this after laying foundation stone of Kissan Kendra being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore in the vicinity of Agriculture Bhawan at Talab Tillo.
Mr Mir said that every step was being taken to facilitate the farming community at all levels, including facilitation of market linkage with local and national markets for good returns. He said the Government was also conducting orientation programmes to educate farmers about the market strategies.
Asserting that the growth of agriculture was going upward, Mr Mir said that this has become possible due to farmers’ friendly decisions taken by the Government during last four years with regard to introduction of technology, Hybrid seed, quality fertilizer, farm mechanization besides exempting VAT and Tax on all agriculture inputs. He said these decisions have given major relief to farmers and youth are coming forward to adopt farming as a full time occupation.
He said on its completion the Kissan Kendra would act as a centre of meeting for the farmers to exchange knowledge, besides offering accommodation facility to those coming to this capital city from rural districts to attend their work.
The Minister said that two storey Kissan Kendra complex will also have a 250 capacity conference hall where training programmes, seminars and awareness programmes for farmers can be held. In addition, it will also have facility for the stay of experts, consultants and trainers who visit the State for training and research activities connected with development of agriculture knowledge and technology.
He said the complex would also have computer centre where farmers can upgrade their knowledge about the advancements made in the field of agriculture technology through the internet and will be able to access data beneficial to them from various sources like ICAR, Agriculture Universities and various allied departments of the agriculture sector.
On the occasion, MLA Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta hailed the initiative of the Agriculture Department to construct a Kissan Kendra and hoped that it would prove as a source of inspiration for the farming community.
Commissioner Secretary Agriculture Production Department Dr. Asgar Samoon, also spoke on the occasion and gave an overview of the efforts being made by the department to promote agriculture and its allied activities.
Director Agriculture Jammu Ajay Khajuria, in his welcome address gave a detailed resume of the Kissan Kendra project.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu S. K. Sahu, Director Floriculture K. K. Sharma, Director Horticulture, Director CA&PD, and Director Animal Husbandry, Joint Directors of Agriculture Department and Chief Agriculture officers of the department were also present.
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