Shadow Correspondent
poonch, JULY 26:
Director Agriculture, Jammu, Inder Jeet conducted an extensive tour of Poonch district today to take stock of ongoing field activities and to review the functioning of the department in the district. He was accompanied by Chief Agriculture Office Poonch M.Y Chowdhary during the tour.
The Director Agriculture visited different Panchayats of Haveli constituency identified to be developed as model for integrated farming, He also inspected the various programmes launched by the Department for the welfare of the farmers. Besides, he inspected the Apiculture Unit established by unemployed educated youth (under new entrepreneurship development programme) with the financial and technical support of the Department.
On the occasion, the Director Agriculture directed concerned officers to guide the beekeepers of the district to organize themselves into Farmers Producers organizations (FPOs) for better processing, branding and marketing of their product. He called for proper planning for the hassle free migration of bee colonies during lien period.
The Director Agriculture also inspected the Cluster Demonstrations under NFSM Coarse Cereals laid out by the Department in farmers’ field at Kossaliyan, Ajote & Mangnar villages. He interacting with the farmers and asked them to diversify their farming with activities Apiculture, Mushroom cultivation, Promotion of local specialty crops, Seed Production and adoption of latest agriculture technology to achieve the goal of doubling their income. While inspecting the individual model of excellence under vegetables like bitter and bottle gourd at village Chandak, Inder Jeet appreciated the efforts of progressives farmer Ishtiaq. He also inspected the varietal trials of Maize 4794 and Star 9 laid out at Khanetar by the farmers to ascertain the difference between the more than 10 year old and new varieties of Maize. On the way, the Director Agriculture also inspected the soil conservation works, Vermicompost units, Water harvesting tanks, Bore-well etc executed by the department. Later, Director Agriculture took a review meeting of the officers and field functionaries of the border district to assess the progress of various departmental schemes and programmes.
Inder Jeet directed the officers to activate the field functionaries to reach out to the farmers’ field for making them fully aware of different schemes. He exhorted upon the field officers to develop model of Excellency of Agriculture activities in their respective Panchayats. He asked for strict adherence to COVID 19 advisory while discharging of duties in the field.
