Kupwara : Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dullooon Saturday inaugurated Rabi campaign 2022-23 at MahaKisanSammelan held at Kuligam here.
Addressing the huge gathering of farmers at the Samellan, AtalDulloo highlighted the importance of various long term initiatives helping the farmers double their income. He appreciated the role of PRI’s for working as a bridge between the department and the farming community in ensuring the successful implementation of department’s schemes.
ACS said that the objective of organising this campaign is to review and address the crop performance during the proceedings of crop season and crop wise targets for Rabi season, ensure supply of critical inputs and facilitate adoption of innovative technologies with a view to enhance production and productivity of the crops. He said that the agro-ecological based crop planning and diversification to achieve self sufficiency in oil seeds, pulses and other agriculture crops should be the priority.
Dulloo remarked that the department is endeavouring to ensure that more and more farmers are benefited with the departmental schemes so that their socio-economic transformation could be achieved. He said the schemes are formulated in such a way that more and more educated youth are attracted towards the agriculture sector.
While taking about Rabi Campaign, the ACS said that department is taking all the efforts to ensure that maximum area is brought under the cultivation of Rabi crops and farmer’s income is increased.
Dulloo further highlighted that in order to ensure the economic security of small and marginal farmers, the department is taking some special initiatives including integrated farming system, special programs for rain fed areas among others. The ACS said that the agriculture mechanization is another focus area and steps are being taken to provide affordable agriculture machinery to farmers.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman DDC Kupwara, Irfan Sultan Panditpori appreciated the Agriculture department for registering the progress in the Agriculture sector despite the fact that agriculture land is shrinking day by day. He hoped that in coming years, the Kupwara district would be the biggest agriculture producer.
In his address, Vice Chairman DDC, Haji Farooq Ahmad Mir said that Government is reaching out at the doorsteps of people and time is not far away when Kupwara district will be the number one district in the field of development. He complimented the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara for his people friendly approach. He also enlisted the developments of Agriculture which the department registered in the sub division.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, DoifodeSagarDattatray in his address said that District Administration is putting all possible efforts to make Agriculture and allied sectors more lucrative and profitable by implementing government schemes at ground level. He added walnut is the main product of Kupwara under One District One Product scheme and a buffer stock of 30000 tonnes of walnut was recorded this year. He further said that the Walnut Mandi is already functional in Kupwara.
The Deputy Commissioner also said that irrigation facilities are being upgraded in the district and more than 900 AmritSarovars have been completed in the district, besides over 300 other irrigation channels have been constructed. He appealed farmers especially youth to take benefit under Agriculture and allied schemes.
While speaking on the occasion, Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal highlighted the importance of organizing valley wide Rabi campaign and said that such outreach programs provide an opportunity to the department to increase the awareness among farming community about the latest interventions in the field of crop cultivation. He appreciated the farming community of the valley for their participation in the Rabi campaign 2022 and asked them to work shoulder to shoulder with the department for the overall progress and development of agriculture sector.
DDC Member Sogam, Nasir Ahmad Lone; DDC Member Hyhama, Haji Sonaullah Khan; DDC Member Kalaroose, Mustafa Choudhary, BDC Chairperson Wavoora, RafiqKataria also spoke on the occasion.
Chief Agriculture Officer Kupwara G.M. Dhobi and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, ACS inspected various stalls installed by Agriculture and allied departments, Banks and private business units. The ACS interacted with the stall holders and enquired about the production and schemes.
Later, the ACS distributed Paddy Threshers among 16 panchayats of agriculture zone Khurhama. He also distributed sanction letters for establishment of single goat unit among 4 beneficiaries. Sanction letters for establishment of Pack houses under PMDP were also distributed among 4 other beneficiaries besides Soil Health Cards were also distributed by the ACS.
Earlier, ACS also visited Integrated Agriculture model town Sopore and monitored Rabi Campaign in different areas of Baramulla district.
