Budgam, 21 March 2019: On the eve of Navroz, Director Agriculture Kashmir today inaugurated transplanting day in District Budgam and made extensive field visit of vegetable clusters of Bugam and Narkara. Director inaugurated various farmer friendly training programmes in the district. While interacting with a large gathering of farmers in Bugam village which is a cluster vegetable village, highlighted importance of vegetable potential of the area. Director said that our Kashmir is gifted with a temperate climate and can export more vegetables in the hot summer season to other states. Director said that valley produces vegetable worth Rupees 1200 crores out of which vegetables worth Rupees 600 crores are exported to other states. Director Agriculture said that we have reached a reasonable yield potential of vegetable production. Now there is need for shifting to exotic and high value vegetable like broccoli , parsley and other varieties to earn more profit. He emphasized upon giving boost to marketing of vegetables by making different groups and societies and branding the products and labelling and packaging in an attractive way. He emphasized upon the growers for forming of FPOs (Farmer produce organizations) and register themselves with the cooperatives and sell their produce giving a brand name. Director also stressed for creation of a Mandi in the nearby area through the cooperation of FPOs and approaching to NABARD for financial support. Director also assured the farmers for providing the transportation facility of their fresh vegetables to other states through Refrigeration vans , which will be given by the department on the requirement of the growers.
In another event organised at vegetable village Narkara, Director while interacting with the farmers emphasized upon giving boost by better marketing and diversification of crops on need basis. It was informed that a Mandi will be soon started in the area by the assistance of NABARD. To provide high quality seeds having high yield potential to the farmers of their choice Director instructed the officers for Direct Benefit Transfer mode (DBT). The farmers raised various issued regarding enhancement of Polygreen Houses, IP Sets, equipments and also demanded that their crops must be insured to save the losses during adverse conditions and natural calamities.
Director assured the farmers for addressing their issues and problems. He also instructed the officers for identifying 200 young entrepreneurs for a special training in a phased manner on high tech vegetable cultivation through National Horticulture Board (NHB) in Pune and Bangaluro.
On the occasion Chief Agriculture Officer informed that 183 hectares of area is under vegetable cluster Bugam and 240 hectares is under vegetable cluster Narkara of district Budgam and efforts of the department are on to provide latest technologies and inputs to the farmers to give boost to the vegetable industry.
Joint Director Agriculture Inputs, Deepak Kumar Kuchroo, and Project Coordinator Mushroom Avinash Peer and senior Officers of the department were also accompanying.
