Poonch | : The Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Monday organized a Kisan Mela here at Mendhar under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).
Over 300 progressive farmers and SHG members participated in the programme inaugurated by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Imran Rashid Kataria and Chief Agriculture Officer Jograj Salathia.
Officers from Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Fisheries, Sericulture, KVK Poonch and the Banking sector provided farmers information about flagship schemes including PM-KISAN, PMFBY, RKVY, MIDH, IDDS, Rashtriya Gokul Mission and Blue Revolution.
The event featured exhibition stalls showcasing improved seeds, farm machinery, planting material, organic inputs and other innovations for the benefit of farmers. Farmers had the opportunity to directly interact with technical experts and seek guidance on crop management, pest control, soil health and post-harvest technologies.
In his address, the SDM appreciated the Department’s initiative in bringing multiple stakeholders on one platform. He underlined the importance of linking farmers with potential markets, encouraging youth to adopt agriculture as an enterprise and ensuring active participation of women through SHGs and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). He assured full administrative support for farmer-centric initiatives in Mendhar Sub-Division.
The Chief Agriculture Officer encouraged the farmers for adoption of modern techniques, crop diversification and integrated farming models to enhance their income. He lauded the efforts of the Mendhar Sub-Division team for mobilizing farmers at the grassroots level and urged them to benefit from the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) being implemented across the Union Territory.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer Sanjeev Gupta. He expressed gratitude to the officers and farmers for their active participation and cooperation in making the event a grand success.
