KUPWARA: On the instructions of Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Khalid Jahangir, Horticulture Department Kupwara today organized a joint awareness camp at Fruit Mandi Handwara to disseminate information among farmers about various initiatives and Government schemes including One District One Product (ODOP), Post harvest technology and High Density plantation.
Horticulture Development Officer (HDO) Handwara, Iftikar Ahmad, Area Marketing Officer, Bilal Ahmad; BDC Chairperson Langate, Showkat Hassan Pandit, Officers and representatives from Horticulture, Agriculture, KVK, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, banks, besides, a large number of farmers from different areas of the district participated in the day long awareness camp.
On the occasion, HDO provided detailed awareness to the participants regarding various schemes and initiatives of the government for boosting the horticulture sector in the district. He said special focus has been laid on the ODOP scheme for which Kupwara has been selected for walnut production.
He said to ensure proper implementation of the scheme, a special Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), ATHWAS has been established in the district to sponsor the scheme and to provide end-to-end support and services to the farmers.
He appealed to the farmers to adopt different scientific techniques like post harvest technology, high density plantation for which the Government is hand holding the farmers in terms of different incentives to increase their income generating capacity. He said high density plantation is available both for fresh fruit and walnut production.
The HDO said that the Horticulture department is now trying to shift the focus towards grading and marketing of the produce as a large number of farmers have developed their high density nurseries of apple and walnut in the district.
The BDC Chairperson also spoke on the occasion and expressed gratitude towards the District Administration for conducting the awareness camp. He asked them to conduct such camps in other places of the district also so that the farmers in large get benefitted.
Meanwhile, Experts and officers from various other departments provided threadbare awareness to the farmers about schemes and initiatives of their concerned departments through which the farmers could be benefitted.

KR Desk