Group of 31 Poonch farmers leave for advanced training, field exposure at PAU Ludhiana
Poonch : District Development Commissioner Poonch, Ashok Kumar Sharma Friday flagged off a seven-day farmers’ interstate training programme (outside the UT) under the centrally sponsored scheme SMAE–ATMA (Sub Mission on Agriculture Extension – Agricultural Technology Management Agency).
The programme aims to enhance the technical capacity and practical knowledge of farmers by exposing them to advanced agricultural practices being adopted in progressive agricultural institutions.
The touring group consists of 31 farmers drawn from different areas of Poonch district. They would undergo structured technical training and participate in live field demonstrations at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.
While speaking on the occasion, the District Development Commissioner lauded the Agriculture Department for proactively organizing the exposure programme under ATMA. “Such initiatives play a pivotal role in building farmers’ capacity, fostering self-reliance and improving their socio-economic status”, he noted. He encouraged the farmers to make optimum use of the training programme and adopt modern, mechanized and scientific agricultural practices in place of traditional methods to enhance agricultural productivity and profitability in the district.
Chief Agriculture Officer, Jograj Singh Slathia, while interacting with the participating farmers, briefed them in detail about the objectives and expected outcomes of the training programme. He stated that the practical exposure and technical knowledge gained during such visits would not only benefit the participating farmers but also serve as a catalyst for wider adoption of scientific farming practices across the district.
The participating farmers expressed their appreciation to the Agriculture Department for organizing the training programme. The farmers also assured that the knowledge gained during the visit would be effectively utilized at the field level and shared with fellow farmers for the overall development of agriculture in the district.
