Agri deptt organizes training prog on IPM

Srinagar: Director Agriculture Kashmir, Altaf Aijaz Andrabi Tuesday inaugurated one day training program on ‘Integrated Pest Management’ (IPM) organised by Department of Agriculture Kashmir here.
During the inaugural lecture Director said previously agriculture was focused on increasing the production and productivity, but the present days focus is on sustainable production.
He said Integrated Pest Management practice is relevant under changing weather scenario for maximising the production and added that at present times Agriculture Department is focused on the integrated farming system i.e a resource management strategy to achieve economic and sustained production to meet diverse requirement of farm house holds while preserving resource base, ensuring environmental quality and maintaining desirable level of biological diversity.
Andrabi said integrated pest management is a sustainable approach to manage pests by integrating the available plant protection methods like cultural, physical, mechanical, biological and chemical methods to optimise the production costs besides maintaining environmental balance.
He said this training program has been framed keeping in view the importance of integrated pest management for sustainable agriculture production, reducing health and environmental hazards of the chemical pesticides besides to acquaint the field officers of the Department regarding the strategies framed to implement IPM.
Among others the program was attended by Joint Director Agriculture Extension, Senior Entomologist SPEADA and Field level officers of Kashmir Division.