KUPWARA: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo today inaugurated Rabi campaign 2022-23 at Maha Kisan Sammelan held at Kuligam here.
Addressing the huge gathering of farmers at the Samellan, Atal Dulloo highlighted the importance of various long-term initiatives to help the farmers double their income. He appreciated the role of PRIs in working as a bridge between the department and the farming community in ensuring the successful implementation of the department’s schemes.
ACS said that the objective of organising this campaign is to review and address the crop performance during the proceedings of the crop season and crop-wise targets for the Rabi season, ensure the supply of critical inputs and facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies with a view to enhancing production and productivity of the crops. He said that agro-ecological-based crop planning and diversification to achieve self-sufficiency in oil seeds, pulses, and other agricultural crops should be the priority.
Dulloo remarked that the department is endeavoring to ensure that more and more farmers are benefited from the departmental schemes so that their socio-economic transformation could be achieved. He said the schemes are formulated in such a way that more and more educated youth are attracted to the agriculture sector.
While talking about Rabi Campaign, the ACS said that the department is taking all efforts to ensure that maximum area is brought under the cultivation of Rabi crops and farmer’s income is increased.
Dulloo further highlighted that in order to ensure the economic security of small and marginal farmers, the department is taking some special initiatives including an integrated farming system, and special programs for rain-fed areas among others. The ACS said that agriculture mechanization is another focus area and steps are being taken to provide affordable agriculture machinery to farmers.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman DDC Kupwara, Irfan Sultan Panditpori appreciated the Agriculture department for registering the progress in the Agriculture sector despite the fact that agricultural land is shrinking day by day. He hoped that in the coming years, the Kupwara district would be the biggest agriculture producer.
In his address, Vice Chairman DDC, Haji Farooq Ahmad Mir said that Government is reaching out to the doorsteps of people and the time is not far away when Kupwara district will be the number one district in the field of development. He complimented Deputy Commissioner Kupwara for his people-friendly approach. He also enlisted the developments of Agriculture which the department registered in the sub-division.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Doifode Sagar Dattatray in his address said that District Administration is putting all possible efforts to make Agriculture and allied sectors more lucrative and profitable by implementing government schemes at the ground level. He added walnut is the main product of Kupwara under the One District One Product scheme and a buffer stock of 30000 tonnes of walnut was recorded this year. He further said that the Walnut Mandi is already functional in Kupwara.
The Deputy Commissioner also said that irrigation facilities are being upgraded in the district and more than 900 Amrit Sarovars have been completed in the district, besides over 300 other irrigation channels have been constructed. He appealed to farmers especially youth to take benefit of Agriculture and allied schemes.
While speaking on the occasion, Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal highlighted the importance of organizing valley wide Rabi campaign and said that such outreach programs provide an opportunity for the department to increase the awareness among farming community about the latest interventions in the field of the the crop cultivation. He appreciated the farming community of the valley for their participation in the Rabi campaign 2022 and asked them to work shoulder to shoulder with the department for the overall progress and development of the agriculture sector.
DDC Member Sogam, Nasir Ahmad Lone; DDC Member Hyhama, Haji Sonaullah Khan; DDC Member Kalaroose, Mustafa Choudhary, BDC Chairperson Wavoora, Rafiq Kataria also spoke on the occasion.
Chief Agriculture Officer Kupwara G.M. Dhobi and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, ACS inspected various stalls installed by Agriculture and allied departments, Banks and private business units. The ACS interacted with the stall holders and enquired about the production and schemes.
Later, the ACS distributed Paddy Threshers among 16 panchayats of the agriculture zone Khurhama. He also distributed sanction letters for the establishment of single goat unit among 4 beneficiaries. Sanction letters for establishment of Pack houses under PMDP were also distributed among 4 other beneficiaries besides Soil Health Cards were also distributed by the ACS.
Earlier, ACS also visited Integrated Agriculture model town Sopore and monitored Rabi Campaign in different areas of Baramulla district.
