Jammu: MLA Nagrota Devyani Rana on Sunday flagged off a seven-day exposure visit of 50 farmers to Palampur in Himachal Pradesh under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) Clusters initiative.
The farmers, drawn from Keri, Sarote and Mathwar villages under the Mathwar MAP Cluster in Marh subdivision, will receive training in scientific cultivation practices, value addition, processing and marketing of medicinal and aromatic plants through interactions with experts, research institutions and progressive farmers.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by District Agriculture Officer Jammu Vinod Khajuria, Subject Matter Specialist Munshi Ram Rukwal, Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer Marh Khalid Hassan Tantri, Subject Matter Specialist Vishali Bagal and other Agriculture Department officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Rana said exposure visits help farmers acquire practical knowledge and modern farming techniques. She said the HADP was creating opportunities for crop diversification, entrepreneurship and higher farm incomes, and urged the participants to adopt the practices they learn and share them with other farmers.
Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer Marh Khalid Hassan Tantri said the visit had been organised to expose farmers to successful cultivation models, quality planting material production, processing technologies and market linkages. He expressed hope that the programme would encourage wider adoption of scientific practices in the medicinal and aromatic plants sector in Jammu district.
The participating farmers thanked the Agriculture Department for providing them with the opportunity to interact with experts and visit reputed institutions to improve the productivity and profitability of their farming activities.
