JAMMU JUNE 04: Director Horticulture, R.K. Katoch, today conducted an extensive tour of Departmental Fruit Plant Nurseries at Garhi, Maralia and Raipur besides taking stock ongoing Horticulture development activities both in public as well as in private sector at Akhnoor Zone.
During inspection of Fruit Plant Nurseries, the Director asked the concerned Horticulture Development Officer to focus on production of quality planting material for farmers. He asked the concerned officer to submit the DPR of the works need to be to be executed in the nursery like construction of irrigation channels up to the tail end of the nursery, repair of existing tube well etc.
He also directed the concerned agencies to complete the tiling work of the nursery in convergence with MGNREGA.
During his visit to Horticulture Zone Akhnoor, the Director inspected cluster plantation of Mango, Aonla, Litchi being done in an area of 90 hectares.
He interacted with progressive orchardists and appreciated their efforts for contributing towards fruit production. He advised them to adopt various modern technologies in the field of Horticulture like high density plantation to further boost their production.
The Director asked the HDO to submit a proposal for construction of Community basis Tube well in the area.
Meanwhile, the orchardists put forth various problems being faced by them related to incidence of insect pest outbreak, marketing of their produce, formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Crop insurance schemes, issuence of Horticulture Pass books and providing soil testing facilities.
The Director redressed some of the issues on the spot besides asking the concerned to look into the remaining issues for an early redressal.
The Director asked Subject Matter Specialist to issue advisory to the orchardists about the control measures needed to be taken up to deal with various crop threatening pests.
Later, the Director inspected various components of centrally sponsored schemes being implemented in R.S Pura like Deep bore well, Vermicompost units, Protected cultivation compact plantation of citrus, Litchi and Guava.
Vijay Kumar Rana District Horticulture Officer Jammu, Pardeep Kumar Subject Matter Specialist Pomology, Perminder Singh Horticulture Development Officer Technical Cell and Puvinder Gupta Horticulture Development Officer Bhalwal accompanied the Director.
