Anantnag: To review the progress on different Centrally Sponsored and other farmer oriented schemes implemented by Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare Department, Director Agriculture Kashmir Choudhary Mohammad Iqbal convened a high level meeting at Dak Bunglow Khanabal Anantnag.
While expressing his views Director Agriculture exhorted upon the need of strict adherence to the timeline for project completion, optimal and judicious utilization of funds. He directed the concerned officers to ensure the budgetary allocations under different programmes are fully utilized. He directed Chief Agriculture Officer to organise capacity building training programmes for field functionaries regarding various centrally Sponsored Schemes to efficiently meet their mission and goal in a suitable way.
Director Agriculture impressed upon the Officers to take all the essential steps to reduce the gap between the producer and the consumer so that the income of the farmer can be increased. He called upon the participants to take present climatic scenario as a challenge and try all the efforts to coup up with the present situation so that farmer’s interests can be served and safeguarded.
Chowdary directed the officers to intensify touring in the farmer’s field, as our prime target is to reach out to the farmers with latest technologies so that they not only can achieve self-sufficiency in the agriculture sector but will also export their produce to other markets as well. He further said that special teams need to be constituted under the supervision of Joint Directors for crop cut estimation.
While reviewing the working of Soil Testing Laboratory Anantnag, Director stressed the concerned officers to gear up their staff for achieving 100% target set under Soil Health Card Scheme.
During the meeting, the Director laid special emphasis on Mushroom Development on scientific lines and impressed upon the Chief Agriculture Officer to make a comprehensive plan for processing and providing market facilities to the growers.
While discussing the present agro-climatic scenario Chowdhary said amid challenging weather conditions, the department is closely monitoring the present scenario in the Valley. He said awareness mechanisms with respect to disease incidence and its control should be strengthened among the farmers in order to minimize losses due to diseases.
Chief Agriculture Officer Anantnag Sartaj Ahmad Shah gave a detailed power point presentation regarding a detailed overview of different kharief crops, present scenario and measures brought in by the department to address the issues confronting farmers.
Joint Director Agriculture Inputs Kashmir Farooq Ahmad Shah, Joint Director Agriculture Extension Shahid Iqbal, Joint Director Marketing Post Harvest Management Mohammad Qasim Gani, District Agriculture Officers, Sub Divisional Agriculture Officers, Agriculture Extension Officers, Junior Agriculture Extension Officers, Agriculture Extension Assistants of the district were also present in the meeting.

KR Desk