Director Agri (K)advocates for increase in vegetable seedling production using greenhouse technique

Bandipora : To review the progress on the implementation of different centrally sponsored schemes in district Bandipora, the Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal Monday along with Joint Director Farms, Iqbal Singh paid a brief visit to the district particularly Vegetable Seed Multiplication Farm SumbalBandipora, Markundal. Director also held an interaction with the concerned officers, farmers, and other stakeholders of the district.
Speaking on the occasion, Iqbal asked the concerned officers to ensure the maximum seedling requirement of different vegetable crops is met from departmental seed multiplication farms and the seedling is available well in time. He was impressed upon the need to further streamline the working of departmental agriculture farms to meet much of the domestic seed/seedling requirement. The Director appreciated the efforts taken by the management of SM Farm Sumbal for bringing almost each and every corner of the farm under seed multiplication.He reiterated the department’s commitment to promoting organic vegetable cultivation and highlighted the need to cut dependence on chemical fertilizers and shift towards sustainable alternatives like organic fertilizers and vermicompost.Director maintained the department is working on a roadmap to add new dimensions /marketing options to the vegetable sector as this has a great potential for employment generation and socio-economic transformation of the farming community. Later, the Director inspected paddy seedling nurseries, apiculture farms under the private sector, and oilseed and oats fields of the farmers.