Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 8: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, today said the Government is working through multifaceted strategy to change the dynamics of crucial sectors of agriculture, horticulture and floriculture for better production and returns.
The Chief Minister while replying to the discussion on Demand for Grants of Horticulture and Floriculture Departments in the Assembly said: “While various interventions are being made by the Government to ensure quality fruit production, the new generation of horticulturists and floriculturists should create a unified online marketing facility where they would directly sell their produce to the buyers in any part of the country and the world to earn good returns”.
She said the horticulture, floriculture and vegetables offer immense economic opportunities for the people especially the educated youth, who with the help of latest communication techniques, can give a global face to J&K’s horticulture and floriculture produce through vast network of online markets.”
The Chief Minister credited the fruit growers in horticulture sector and craftsmen in the handicraft industry for sustaining the State’s struggling economy in difficult times. She said it would not be out of place to say that horticulture and handicrafts have a bigger potential for the State than the tourism sector.
“As per the official records 14.79 lakh MTs of fresh and dry fruit valuing about Rs 6000 crore were exported from J&K during 2015-16,” she said and added that the area under fruits has increased from 2.95 lakh hectares in 2007-08 to 3.57 lakh hectares in 2015-16.
Mehbooba said two Centres of Excellence on vegetable production would be established in Jammu and Srinagar to facilitate the vegetable growers and women entrepreneurs. “These will be in addition to the two Centres of Excellence already announced to be established in horticulture sector,” she said.
Referring to the losses suffered by the horticulturists and agriculturists because of the nature’s vagaries, Chief Minister said that the growers whose crops are damaged by hailstorm will be compensated through Market Intervention and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY).
Calling upon the farming community to join the pursuit of making Kashmir the ‘Fruit Valley of the World’, Chief Minister said if only 20 percent of our orchards take up high-density farming over the next five years, the Rs 4000 crore industry will expand five times to a staggering Rs 20,000 crore.
Mehbooba said to promote focused horticulture activities in various areas of the State, Mango village is to be established at Khour-Mallapoda on 100 hectares of land covering 47 beneficiaries. Likewise another Mango village will be established in Akhnoor-Sungli on 100 hectares of land covering 26 beneficiaries.
Chief Minister said Apple village will be established in Khiram, Anantnag on 1035 hectares of land covering 1025 beneficiaries. Similarly, Apricot village is to be established in village Hardas in Kargil on 230 hectares of land covering 397 beneficiaries. “Pica Nut villages are to be established at Saskote, Manjakote and Doongi in Rajouri district and Mankote, Sagra, Gani, Harin, Hari Bench, Ajote, Dagwar in Poonch district,” she said.
Mehbooba said pesticide is a major concern for the growers and to curb the practice of spurious pesticides, two laboratories are already working in Jammu and Srinagar while more such laboratories will be established in all the districts of the state.
Chief Minister said under other initiatives in floriculture sector, Tulip cultivation is being commercialized, 13 walk-in cold rooms have been installed for preservation of flowers and 11 units of air conditioned vehicles have been put to use for transportation of cut flowers from different parts of the State to the Airports. “The Floriculture Department is in touch with some airlines for providing transportation of cut flowers to Delhi and other States of the country on concessional basis,” she said and added that the Department is also exploring the possibility of acquiring space in the Flower Mandi at Ghaziabad, Delhi.
Earlier, Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura said that “we are not only deficient in food production but also severely handicapped in fodder production. Given the allocation of funds in the budget proposals, only limited objectives and outcomes can be achieved”.
Hanjura said that shrinking of agriculture land by construction of housing colonies, new universities, medical institutions and colleges, four lane of National Highway etc should have given a set back to the agricultural sector but despite low acreage under agricultural activities the production is showing a steady growth. It is mostly attributable to the efforts of farmers in the fields and to the Government’s efforts, he added.
On the Demand of Grants for Cooperative Department, Minister for Cooperative, Chering Dorjay said that Jammu and Kashmir which has witnessed turbulent times during the last two decades was in dire need of a Cooperative Movement for its prosperity.
Dorjay said that the Government has initiated some innovative measures to revamp the Cooperative Department for transformation of socio- economic condition of stakeholders. “The Cooperative Institutions have been termed as the Institutions of Economic Independence,” he said.
Later, the House passed grants of Agriculture, Horticulture, Floriculture and Cooperative Departments, for the year 2016-17, which were moved by the Minister, amounting to Rs 1959.88 crore with voice vote.
Participating in the discussion on Demand of Grants, Sukhnandhan Kumar demanded that subsidy be provided to small farmers as they are neglected and big farmers get the benefits of various schemes.
Altaf Bukhari said that peripheries of Srinagar produce large quantity of vegetable and demanded that vegetable mandis be set up in these areas. The Deputy Speaker, Nazir Gurezi said that Government should declare Gurez as organic farming zone.
Ishfaq Jabbar demanded set up of floriculture cold storage at Srinagar Airport while as Aijaz Khan said that SKUAST was established with a purpose but it has failed on that count. He stressed for applied research and dissemination of information among farmers.
Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami suggested that pesticides dealers get certificates from Fariabad institute that their products are genuine and SKUAST should not issue any certificates. He demanded that the private sector should be involved in market intervention schemes.
Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen said Government should spell out Agriculture Policy of the State. He expressed concern over mushrooming of brick kilns and residential colonies on agriculture and horticulture land.
Shakti Parihar demanded awareness camp about various Government schemes at block level so that the famers are benefitted. He said that 91 percent area in his constituency is rain fed and it needs to be covered under lift irrigation schemes for which more funds be allocated.
Khalil Bhand demanded more fund allocation for agriculture and horticulture while as Abdul Majid Larmi raised the issue of spurious pesticides and fertilizers and said it has caused havoc. Engineer Rashid raised the issue of spurious pesticides and demanded insurance schemes for farmers affected by hail storm and other natural calamities.
Gulzar Wani demanded modern tools of agriculture for farmers while as Altaf Kaloo demanded better quality seeds for the farmers. Gagan Bhagat said that in the Basmati village project that is being established in RS Pora, the local MLA was not consulted.
Bashir Ahmad Dar said that there is no Agriculture Development Officer and Mushroom Cultivation Officer in Kupwara while as Abdul Majeed Paddar said no awareness camp has been held for farmers in his constituency for last three years.
Waqar Rasool expressed concern over the land conversion while as Choudhary Qamar Hussain expressed concern over non-functional cooperatives. Mian Altaf said that there is no visible impact of agriculture schemes on the ground in his constituency and Asghar Karbalia said that self help groups in Ladakh region have contributed immensely in vegetable production. He said that Government should strengthen them.
Pawan Gupta demanding waiver of KCC loans, adding mushroom cultivation should be promoted in Udhampur while as Neelam Langeh demanded that farmer awareness camps be organized in his constituency. Aga Rohullah demanded vegetable fruit market for Budgam and said that the Government should stop constructions on agriculture land. He also demanded saving karevas.
Deldan Namgyal said that the self help groups are doing commendable job and they should be encouraged while as Mohammad Akbar Lone raised the issue of pesticides. Yavar Mir said that large numbers of pesticide products are advertised in media and grower gets confused which to use and which not to use. Ravinder Raina said agriculture land is being encroached upon and brick kilns have been established on it and pollution emanating from them is damaging the crops.
GM Saroori demanded attention of Government towards the Chenab valley and said that it has been neglected while as Raja Manzoor demanded that a team should be sent to the area for conducting survey about protecting the local varieties.
Usman Majid wanted to know if the horticulture will be declared an industry. He said that the agriculture and horticulture land is depleting alarmingly and it should be protected.
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