Jammu/May,8: To take stock of the avenues for technology adoption and dissemination through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), Director Agriculture, Ashok Kumar Malhotra, Monday visited Vegetable Growing Belt of Kanachak-Mishriwala area and attended a field day organized by M/S Seminis Private Ltd at village Panjore of zone Mishriwala.
Chief Agriculture Officer, R. L. Bhagat, Deputy Director of Agriculture (Central), C. M. Sharma, ADO (Vegetables), S. Matinder Singh and SDAO, Marh, T. K. Atri and progressive farmers including Sham Lal, Ex-Sarpanch Panjore and Sudesh Kumar were present on the occasion.
On the occasion, Malhotra addressed the farmers and expressed satisfaction that the vegetable growers of Mishriwala-Kanachak area are adopting advance technologies of cultivation practices for onion crop and growing improved varieties to enhance their production in terms of yield and quality. He advised the farmers to give thrust on use of organic inputs in adequate measure and to diversify their agriculture activities so as to improve their socio-economic status. He further emphasized on use of vermi-compost for conversion of foliage, cow dung and other farm wastes into invaluable organic manure.
The Director directed the field functionaries to guide the vegetable growers to organize Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for efficient utilization of resources and marketing of their produce. He advised the farmers to further strengthen cooperation with the field functionaries of the department and avail benefit of the Integrated Vegetable Development Cluster (IVDC) Project under implementation in the area.
Later, the Director inspected the Vermicompost units, rajmash trial plot and irrigation pumpsets installed under Integrated Vegetable Development Cluster (IVDC) program in the area. He also distributed mini kits of improved varieties of maize among the farmers for performance evaluation.
AEO, Zone Mishriwala, Rajesh Verma, M. N. Raina, Nirmal Parkash, Arun Jaral, Rajinder Kumar, JAEOs, VAEAs of area and representatives of Seminis also attended the program.