SAMBA: Minister for Agriculture Production Department, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Department, Javid Ahmed Dar, today inaugurated a Farmers’ Mela at Samba.
The event has been organised with a special focus on innovation, secondary agriculture and awareness about government schemes on the occasion of National Farmers Day (Kisan Diwas). It is being celebrated annually on December 23 to mark the birth anniversary of the 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the main objective of the mela was to bridge the gap between the scientists, innovators and farmers by promoting scientific temper and encouraging the adoption of modern farming techniques. He emphasised that such initiatives play a crucial role in empowering farmers with knowledge about the latest developments in agriculture.
The Minister further highlighted that the Mela provided farmers with exposure to the latest farm machinery and technologies, improved seed varieties, field demonstrations and best agricultural practices. He said the event also served as an important platform for agro-industrial exhibitions and direct interaction with the scientists and subject-matter experts from various departments.
Among those present on the occasion were MLA Samba Surjit Singh Slathia, MLA Vijaypur Chander Prakash Ganga, MLA Ramgarh Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal, DDC Chairman Keshav Dutt Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Samba Ayushi Sudan, DDC Vice Chairman, along with senior officers from the Agriculture and allied sectors.
During the Mela, Javid Ahmad Dar inspected various stalls set up by different departments, Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs) and volunteers. He interacted with the participants and appreciated their efforts in spreading awareness about the innovative agricultural practices and government schemes aimed at farmers’ welfare.
MLAs from Samba, Vijaypur and Ramgarh also addressed the gathering and underlined the vast potential of the agriculture sector in generating employment and strengthening the rural economy. They emphasized that diversification, adoption of modern technology and promotion of allied sectors such as horticulture, dairy and agri-based industries can open new avenues of livelihood for the youth and farmers. The legislators stressed the need to encourage innovation, skill development and value addition to make agriculture a sustainable and profitable sector, while assuring continued support for initiatives aimed at farmers’ welfare and rural development.
The Mela witnessed enthusiastic participation from the farmers from across the district.
