Srinagar: Principal Secretary, Horticulture Department Navin Kumar Choudhary along with MD, NAFED, SK Chadda on Saturday chaired a meeting of officers of Agriculture Production & Farmers’ Welfare Department (AP&FWD) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) for the implementation of High Density plantation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The High Density Plantation is a flagship project of the government of J&K to enhance fruits productivity from existing 10 -12 MT per hectare to 40-50 MT per hectare to increase income of farmers many times.
The recently HD plantation scheme modified in March, 2021, focuses on the small and marginal farmers. Under HD plantation scheme Govt. is providing subsidy upto Rs 22.15 lakh per beneficiary. The modified HD plantation scheme is implemented with the support NAFED.
The meeting was attended by Director General Horticulture, Kashmir; Director Horticulture, Jammu; Additional Secretary, Horticulture Department, (Nodal officer for HDP); and all Chief Horticulture Officers.
At the outset of the meeting, Managing Director, NAFED, SK Chadda gave a detailed presentation regarding the progress made by NAFED for the implementation High Density plantation scheme and the target achievements till now.
SK Chadda informed that NAFED has set the target of plantation on one hundred acres in Poonch in Jammu division. He further informed that ten enterprise agencies have been empanelled who would assist in achieving the target in the stipulated time.
Besides market support, NAFED is also establishing the post harvest infrastructure facilities which includes three CA stores which includes one at Samba, in Jammu division while two other in Kashmir division, said MD, NAFED.
He added that NAFED is providing market linkage facility, bought 800 quintals of cheery this year through FPOs.
Meanwhile, MD, NAFED also offered marketing support for exotic vegetables and honey from of J&K.
On the occasion, Principal Secretary directed all the CHOs to identify the eligible marginal farmers having less than four kanals of land and speed up the HD plantation, besides asked them to process the applications of farmers within four days.
Moreover, Principal Secretary directed DG, Horticulture, Kashmir and Director, Horticulture Jammu to quantify the production of exotic vegetables and honey so market linkages shall be established by NAFED for these products to maximize remuneration of farmers.
He also directed them to identify land for the establishment of virus indexing lab for HD plantation.
