SRINAGAR: Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohd Iqbal on Sunday inspected various pesticide and fertilizer dealers at Pulwama to monitor the sale of registered products. Various fertilizers were found without registration and onspot directions were given to concerned fertilizer inspector to seize 150 qtls of PROM and submit the compliance report to directorate without any delay.
Meanwhile, during his Budgam visit, the Director Agriculture inaugurated semi hi-tech polyhouse at Chadoora. Speaking to the farmers, the Director said the semi hi-tech polyhouses would benefit the farmers of Chadoora sub division and other areas of Budgam.
“The department is working robustly not only to fulfill the local demands for fresh vegetables during the winter season but also to cater to the requirements of Jammu region as well,” he said adding that the department is increasing the number of hi tech poly houses in all the districts of Kashmir division aiming to provide fresh vegetables during the winter months.
Iqbal said the cropping intensity in Kashmir division is already 250 and efforts are on to raise it up to 300. He said the vegetable farmers who under open conditions raise three crops in a year, with the help of hi-tech polyhouses are able to produce five crops in a year. With the result not only the cropping intensity, production and productivity is increased but the income of the farmers also gets significantly increased. He said this also helps to generate employment opportunities as well.
The Director Agriculture said that we are committed to provide early seedlings to the farmers so that they could make optimum use of their land. I am satisfied that this year we have already distributed seedling to the farmers at some places and this process will continue in coming days, he added
“We are regularly taking feedback from the farming community, the suggestions received are worked upon and the issues raised are addressed on priority based,” Chowdhury Iqbal said.
Later on, the Director Agriculture visited departmental Polyhouse at Nikas Hall Pulwama and reviewed the preparations for the distribution of vegetable seedlings of different crops to the farming community of the district.

KR Desk