Awareness prog on potato cultivation held

Srinagar: To acquaint the farmers with latest techniques about potato cultivation, a daylong training cum awareness program on potato cultivation was held by Potato Development Office, Agriculture department Kashmir, at Lalmandi, Srinagar.
About 150 farmers across the valley participated in the camp. The camp was inaugurated by Director Agriculture Kashmir, Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Agriculture said potato is a commercial crop and its highest yield potential must be exploited to get the maximum returns. He emphasized upon increasing the area under potato cultivation and stressed for taking necessary technological measures for increasing the shelf life of potato to get maximum profit. Andrabi said department is providing high quality potato seed to the farmers and asked the farmers to adopt the latest and scientific techniques for potato cultivation. He said the department has already distributed 3000 quintals of high quality potato seeds to the farmers of valley on subsidized rates.
The farmers were advised to adopt the latest techniques and use of high quality variety seeds and to take advance measures for disease management to avoid any adverse affect on production.
Joint Director Agriculture Inputs, Deepak Kumar Kachroo, Joint Director Agriculture Extension Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal , Dy. Director Central, Agrostologist Kashmir and other senior officers of the department were present.