Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, July 31: Department of Horticulture Jammu organized an awareness programme for the farmers at village Sumwan and encouraged them for plantation of fruit plants.
The programme was presided over by Director Horticulture Jammu Ram Savak and attended by officers/officials of the department including Joint Director Horticulture Jammu C L Sharma, Chief Horticulture Officer Kathua Sushil Kunam Angurana, Chief Horticulture Officer Jammu Sarbjeet Singh, DLSMS (PP), DLSMS (P), HDO, local people, Sarpanch and PRI members.
Addressing a large gathering of farmers/fruit growers, the Director stressed on the need to encourage High Density Plantation in the area and adopt cluster approach to establish new orchards. He said the department is providing all assistance to the farmers and they should take benefits of the centrally and UT sponsored schemes of the Department.
Ram Savak impressed upon the farmers to form Self Help Groups (SHG’s) and associate with Horticulture Department to set up Micro Food Processing units under the PMFME scheme, a land mark initiative of Aatmannirbhar Bharat Abhiyan for the value addition of fruit products which will not only provide employment opportunities, but also make the farmers self reliant and enhance their family income.
Joint Director Horticulture Jammu while speaking on the occasion asked the farmers to keep a close liaison with the Department, adopt integrated farming in their fields and enhance their livelihood.
Chief Horticulture Officer Kathua asked farmers to come forward and avail the benefits on components such as creation of irrigation sources, mechanization, custom hiring centres, vermin compost units, protected cultivation, tools & implements, post harvest management etc. He also laid emphasis on plantion of exotic fruit crops like Dragon Fruit in their fields so as to get more income from the same area, thereby helping in doubling the farmer’s income.
Earlier, the Director launched the plantation drive at multiple locations by planting saplings of citrus fruits, Mango and Litchi plants in the compact farmer’s field at Kathua, Barnoti and Hiranagar zones of the Horticulture Department.
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