SRINAGAR: Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar on Wednesday reviewed the impact of recent fruit fall incidents reported from horticultural areas of Shopian and Anantnag districts and ordered a detailed assessment to determine the causes and extent of the damage.
Chairing a review meeting, the Minister took stock of losses reported from various orchard belts and reviewed measures being undertaken for assessment and mitigation. He directed officials to conduct a comprehensive ground-level survey to accurately quantify the damage and submit reports at the earliest.
Dar also called for a wider assessment of fruit drop incidents across major apple-growing districts, with particular focus on identifying vulnerable apple varieties and high-risk locations.
Expressing concern over the possible role of substandard inputs, the Minister instructed the Enforcement Wing to intensify field inspections and take strict action against the sale of unauthorised or poor-quality pesticides and plant protection chemicals.
To ascertain the reasons behind the incidents, the Minister ordered the constitution of a committee headed by the Director Horticulture, Kashmir. The panel has been tasked with carrying out a detailed investigation, identifying the underlying causes and submitting its findings within a stipulated timeframe.
The Minister also stressed the need for wider dissemination of scientific advisories on balanced nutrient management and directed the department to provide technical guidance and handholding support to growers on scientific orchard management practices to minimise the risk of similar incidents in future.
The meeting was attended by Director Agriculture Kashmir, Director Horticulture Kashmir, Director Enforcement J&K, Director HPMC, Director Horticulture (Planning and Marketing) J&K and other concerned officials.
