Jammu | : A Farmers’ Training-cum-Exposure Visit was Saturday organized by the Department of Horticulture Jammu under the guidance of the Director Horticulture.
The group of progressive farmers drawn from Akhnoor and Bhalwal was flagged off by MLA Akhnoor Mohan Lal, who visited Government Fruit Plant Nursery Vijaypur, KVK RS Pura and Fruit Plant Nursery Chakroi.
Chief Horticulture Officer Rakesh Kumar Kotwal, Horticulture Development Officer Akhnoor Sandeep Sharma and other officials of the Horticulture department were also present.
The farmers learned about scientific nursery management practices such as mother block maintenance, use of polyhouses and shade nets for raising quality planting material, media sterilization and hardening protocols at Vijaypur.
Later, the farmers visited Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), R.S. Pura where farmers interacted with subject matter specialists and gained knowledge on post-harvest handling, grading, packaging, cold chain logistics and establishment of value addition units for horticultural produce, besides interaction on market linkage and branding in addition to modern techniques related to production and propagation of fruit crops.
At Government Fruit Plant Nursery Chakroi, the farmers observed the ongoing developmental works under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) including establishment of modern propagation infrastructure, micro-irrigation systems and fertigation units, as well as layout of high-density mother blocks for the production of certified, disease-free planting material. They also witnessed the establishment of modern nursery infrastructure having Hi Tech Poly Houses/Raised bed fruit cultivation
The visit provided the farmers with hands-on technical exposure to advanced horticultural interventions and fostered practical understanding of field-level application of technologies such as soil health management, integrated nutrient management (INM), integrated pest management (IPM) and protected cultivation.
The program concluded with an interactive session between the farmers and technical experts of the Horticulture Department during which constructive feedback and valuable suggestions were received for further strengthening of field-oriented extension and training activities.
