Secy Horticulture reviews departmental functioning in Kupwara

Kupwara : Secretary Horticulture Manzoor Ahmad lone Monday visited Kupwara and chaired a high level meeting of concerned officers at DC office Complex Kupwara.
The meeting was attended by District Development Commissioner Kupwara, Khalid Jahangir, Director Agriculture, Director Horticulture P&M, District and Sectoral officers of Agriculture and Horticulture Departments, program coordinator KVK, officers of Agro Corporation and other concerned.
The meeting was convened to review the progress achieved under horticultural and agriculture sectors in the district. Various issues related to these sectors were also reviewed threadbare in the meeting.
The Secretary on the occasion directed the concerned officers to identify some villages to be designated as model villages on pilot basis which would be fully developed under Horticulture and Agriculture sectors and thereby replicated in case of better results. He stressed integrated and double cropping system for healthy returns from these sectors and also directed for filling up class IV vacancies to strengthen the manpower. He asked officers to work with more dedication so that both these sectors receive stimulus in coming days in the district.
Manzoor Lone said the list of requirements should be furnished to him for approval. He said the steps to overcome bottlenecks should be taken to benefit farmers. He said the focus should be given on vegetable cultivation, Zagg Rice, fodder and honey keeping in view of the topography of the area. He asked for generating on-line system and ensuring the facilities like banking, toilet, drinking water, electricity in fruit and vegetable mandies in the district so that the traders do not face any inconvenience.
He directed for identifying 50 hectares of land in the district for introduction and promotion of high density plantation to boost Horticulture sector for which he assured the approval of vermicompost units, bore wells, reservoirs and requisite mechanization.
The DDC on the occasion sought the intervention from Commissioner Secretary to boost Horticulture and Agriculture sectors in the district. He said 10 villages have been identified to be covered under double cropping this year. He informed the chair that besides walnut industry, wheat and maize is also the demand of the people for which necessary steps need to be ensured for encouraging returns.
He said the Fruit Mandi Kupwara has been made functional recently while as work is in progress to complete the remaining work in fruit mandi Handwara. Director Horticulture on the occasion directed the Chief Horticulture Officer to organise a district level Horticulture awareness camp in the district for equipping people associated with these sectors with necessary know-how.
The meeting was informed that 28,855 hectares of land have been covered under fresh and dry fruits. The fresh fruit production recorded in the district stands at 45,800 MTs and dry fruits production at 2.97 MTs.