Agri dept, JKHPMC committed to safeguard farmers interests: Director Agri(K), MD JKHPMC

Srinagar: Amid lockdown and lack of availability of regular marketing facilities, the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with JK HPMC has started a special drive wherein the JKHPMC shall procure the vegetable and other agriculture produce directly from these farmers and market it in and outside of Jammu & Kashmir.
Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal reiterated the commitment to provide vegetable growers and other farmers with marketing facilities for their produce for which a memorandum of understanding between the directorate of Agriculture Kashmir and J&K Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation JKHPMC Ltd has been introduced to boost direct linkage between the farmers and the markets.
While starting this initiative, JKHPMC procured 60 quintals of potato from Tulail Bandipora and in a visit to organic vegetable cluster Patal Bagh Pulwama where 1200 kanals have been brought under cultivation of Peas and JKHPMC is ready to facilitate the marketing of the produce from the said area.
During the visit, the Director said this initiative is going to eliminate the exploitation of farmers by mediators and commission agents and will fetch more income for their produce which is the ultimate goal of the Department.
He said the department along with JKHPMC is trying to make this entire process easy, farmer friendly and more attractive so that more and more farmers get benefited by the this exercise.
MD JKHPMC, Shafat Sultan while expressing his views said that the Corporation is taking all the necessary steps to trade/market fresh and dried vegetables both within and outside J&K. The corporation is trying to explore more marketing options for the vegetable and other agriculture products of Jammu & Kashmir, he said and added.