Jammu :The Department of Horticulture Jammu organised an Awareness Camp at the Government Fruit Plant Nursery, Gandharwan to familiarise farmers with modern horticultural techniques, departmental schemes and opportunities to diversify into high-value fruit crops.
The programme was attended by Member Legislative Assembly Akhnoor Mohan Lal Bhagat as the chief guest, while the Director Horticulture Jammu Gul sayeed was the guest of honour .
Speaking at the event, the Chief Guest appreciated the efforts of the Department of Horticulture towards promoting modern farming practices and improving farmers’ incomes. He encouraged farmers to use scientific cultivation methods, diversify their orchards and make the most of the schemes and technical support available from the Government. He lauded the Department’s efforts to organise farmer-focused awareness programmes and exposure visits. He also stressed the need for better coordination among farmers, technical institutions and government departments.
The Director spoke about the Department’s efforts to improve horticultural infrastructure, promote quality planting material, introduce new and profitable fruit crops and provide technical support to farmers. He emphasised the important role of horticulture in strengthening the rural economy and improving the livelihood of farming families. He called upon farmers to move beyond traditional horticultural practices and adopt scientific, technology-driven and market-oriented production systems.
Earlier, the Chief Horticulture Officer R. K Kotwal gave a detailed presentation on the different schemes and programmes being run by the Department of Horticulture. He especially spoke about the potential of dragon fruit cultivation in the Jammu region as a profitable diversification crop.
Farmers were briefed on important aspects of dragon fruit cultivation, including choosing quality planting material, site selection, trellis systems, irrigation, plant spacing, orchard care, nutrient management and income potential.
Later, as part of the programme, a one-day farmers’ exposure tour within the UT of J&K was flagged off to impart participants practical knowledge and first-hand experience of modern horticultural technologies and successful farming models.
During the tour, the farmers visited the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu). They learned about the latest developments, technologies and scientific practices in horticulture, interacted with experts and gained practical knowledge that they can use in the fields. The farmers also visited the Government Fruit Plant Nursery, Vijaypur, where they learned about nursery management, the production and maintenance of quality fruit planting material and modern nursery technologies. The visit highlighted the importance of using quality planting material to establish healthy and productive orchards. The programme and exposure tour gave farmers useful information on modern fruit production technologies, dragon fruit cultivation, nursery management, irrigation management, departmental schemes and other horticulture-related initiatives.
