SRINAGAR: The Director, Horticulture Kashmir G. R. Mir, today conducted an extensive tour of district Baramulla.
During the tour, the Director visited various departmental nurseries/orchards, private High-Density Apple orchards/private fruit plant nursery, held interaction with farmers and reviewed the functioning of the department in the district.
At the outset of the tour, Director Horticulture visited a private apple High-Density orchard spread over an area 40 Kanal at village Parihaspora. He also visited many other Apple High-Density orchards in the district.
He instructed the field functionaries of the Department to provide all technical knowhow to the orchardists’ right from training and pruning to harvesting including thinning, fertigation, nutrient management, pest/disease management etc.
The Director also visited the Fruit Plant Nursery Zangam, Pattan, Khwaja Bagh and Fruit Plant Nursery Sundri, Sopore, where he took stock of various developmental activities being carried out. He stressed upon the judicious use of inputs, so as to propagate quality fruit plants.
He further emphasized on the need of producing a maximum number of quality planting material per unit area.
Later, the Director participated in an interaction session with the farmers at Pattan extension. The interaction was attended by a large number of orchardists.
Addressing the gathering, the Director elaborated in detail about the incentives available under the various central and UT sponsored schemes of the Department viz. MIDH, PMDP, SMAM, PMKSY, CAPEX etc., and urged the farmers to come forward and avail the benefits under these schemes.
The Director also paid a visit to a private fruit plant nursery at Sopore. Speaking on the occasion, he highlighted the importance of an optimal fruit plant nursery in the success of an orchard. He further stressed on the need of getting all the nurseries registered with the Department of Horticulture besides being accredited by the National Horticulture Board.
He also took a review of the district in a meeting attended by CHO Baramulla, and other Officers of the Department. He advised the Officers to ensure the completion of targets given to them under different schemes within the stipulated timelines.
He also advised them to have special focus on implementation of Modified Hi-Density Plantation Scheme. He urged them to make frequent visits to the field and provide the growers with latest technical knowhow, besides giving vide publicity to different Departmental schemes.
The Director was accompanied by Chief Horticulture Officer Baramulla, District Horticulture Officer Baramulla, and other officers of the Department.
