JAMMU: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo, today convened a meeting to review the availability of seeds in agriculture and allied sectors at the civil secretariat.
Director Agriculture, Kashmir, apprised the ACS of schemes for agrostology, potato development, seed production, and floriculture development besides highlighting achievements under these sectors.
Similarly, Director Agriculture Jammu informed the ACS about seed availability for pulses, paddy, wheat, oilseeds etcetera.
ACS was informed about the status of ongoing and upcoming projects of NABARD for the regions in the sector.
Regarding the Horticulture sector, ACS was given details about nurseries, orchards, and farms from Kashmir. It was informed that 33 of those nurseries have gained accreditation as well.
ACS directed the officers to prepare estimates and arrange rootstock for plantation from January onwards in the region.
Atal Dulloo enquired about the availability of high-density planting material for around 300 hectare of land in Kashmir. He assessed the category-wise availability of cherry, apple, walnut, almond, plum, peach, etcetera.
He asked the department to start production of planting material in the available fallow lands besides releasing quarantined rootstock for plantation.
Similarly, ACS assessed the status of horticulture farms and 69 nurseries in the Jammu region.
Officers from Animal Husbandry Kashmir gave information about semen production at the Ranbir Bagh bull farm and Hari Parbat poultry farm.
ACS asked the Director Animal Husbandry Jammu to prepare DPR for setting up of Frozen Semen Laboratory at Hakkal. He emphasized the need for strenuous efforts towards strengthening artificial insemination besides overhauling of all departmental farms in the region.
He issued directions for the immediate resolution of land disputes pertaining to Animal Husbandry farms besides asking for procuring new bulls there.
ACS had a detailed review of the Sheep Husbandry sector in both the regions of the UT. He sought information from the Heads of Fisheries and Sericulture departments about the status of their respective farms.
He asked all the departments to submit comparative data of their production and seed availability for the past three years.
The meeting was attended by heads of Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Sheep Husbandry, and Fisheries departments besides other senior officers.
