Tangdar: Agricultural mechanization helps in increasing production through timely farm operations and ensuring better management of inputs. Mechanization also enhances the productivity and reduces drudgery associated with various farm operations, these views were expressed by Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal while inaugurating Farm Machinery distribution camp held at Sub Division Tangdar, Kupwara.
During the event, 15 maize shellers and 20 paddy threshers were distributed free of cost among the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) of the sub division. Besides other machinery items were also provided to the farmers in order to promote farm mechanization in this far flung area.
Speaking on the occasion, Director impressed upon the officers to utilize their special skills to familiarize the farmers regarding modern trends and technologies being adopted worldwide to increase their income so that the socio economic condition of the farmer gets improved. He threw light on various ongoing schemes of the department and the initiatives being taken by the department for the welfare of the farming community.
Director Agriculture asked farmers to avail the benefit from the schemes of agriculture department and ensure to adopt agriculture and allied activities as a profession for their posterity. He deliberated upon the agriculture scenario of the area and appealed all the participating farmers to come forward and gain the technical knowhow which is being provided to them by the department through qualified agriculture technocrats.
On the occasion, Chairperson District Development Council (DDC) Kupwara Irfan Panditpuri, DDC member Advocate Najma Hameed, BDC Chairperson Dilshada and various PRIs of the area delivered lectures and projected their demands for the development of agriculture sector in the area for which Director assured them that their genuine demands would be redressed on priority.
Chief Agriculture Officer Kupwara Nazir Ahmad Wani presented overall scenario of agriculture in the area and gave detailed information with regard to the incentives being provided to farmers under different centrally sponsored schemes and flagship programs.
Participating farmers were very much enthusiastic and interacted with the scientists/officers of the department and were given appraisal of the latest techniques of agriculture and allied activities. They thanked Director Agriculture for fulfilling the demand of establishing seed centres which was raised during his previous visit to this far flung sub division of the valley.
Among others Director was accompanied by Chief Agriculture Officer Kupwara Nazir Ahmad Wani, Potato Development Officer Waheed ur Rehman, District Agriculture Officer Kupwara Naseer Ahmad Khan and other officers of the district.

KR Desk