Ganai reviews functioning of Agriculture, Horticulture Deptts

Srinagar : Advisor to Governor Khurshid Ahmad Ganai Monday reviewed the implementation of various state and centrally sponsored schemes of Agriculture and Horticulture sector.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Agriculture, Manzoor Ahmad Lone, Vice chancellor SKUAST Nazeer Ahmad, Director Agriculture Kashmir, Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi, Director Agriculture Jammu, HK Razdan, Director Horticulture Kashmir, Shahnawaz Bukhari, Director Horticulture Jammu, Anuradha Gupta, Director Finance (Horticulture) Dr SK Sen, Director Finance (Agriculture) RK Rakwal, Director Planning and Monitoring SKUAST, Deepak Kher, Director CAA Jammu, Jatinder Singh, MD HPMC, Shafat Sultan, Director Sericulture, Gulzar Ahmad and other senior officers of the department.
The advisor reviewed the implementation of various centrally and state sponsored schemes and the projects taken up under PMDP. He urged the officers to implement the schemes in letter and spirit for the benefit of the farmers and fruit growers of the state.
The meeting was informed that there is an approved allocation of Rs 86.36 crores under Capex and NABARD in agriculture sector and Rs 24.18 crore have been spend by the end of September this year. It was given out in the meeting that under PMDP, the Department of Agriculture spend an amount of Rs 16.86 crore till September this year while under various centrally sponsored schemes, an amount of Rs 66.10 crore have been released for the current financial year for various schemes.
Officials informed there is the cumulative outlay budget of Rs 231.53 crores under various schemes for the current financial year and the department has received an authorization of Rs 91.87 crore so far.
The meeting was informed that the Department of agriculture is currently implementing various schemes under state and central funding including Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Mission for sustainable Agriculture, National Mission on Agriculture Extension and Technology, National Food Security Mission, National Mission for Oil Seed and Oil Palm, National e-governance program for agriculture, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and Integrated Scheme for Development for Sericulture Industry.
Under Horticulture sector, it was given out that there is an available budget of Rs 134.33 crore out of the total outlay budget of Rs 408.89 crores under different centrally and state sponsored schemes including MIDH, PMDP and Capex.
Officials informed the meeting that there are 763.88 lakh fruit trees in the state out of which 563.74 lakh are fruit bearing. “There are 447 fruit nurseries out of which 138 nurseries are in public sector and 339 are in private sector,” they added.
Stressing on the need to increase the production of horticulture produce, advisor Khurshid Ganai said there is an average yield of 10-11 metric tons per hectare in the state while the yield is 40- 50 MTs/Ha in advanced countries. He said there is need to switch from traditional plantation to high density plantation.
The advisor called for exploring possibilities for providing modern equipment and implement modern scientific technologies in farming for progressive farmers to ease out their ways of farming besides increasing agriculture and horticulture production.
The Advisor emphasized on bridging the gap between farmers and officers of the Department and exhorted upon them to impart technical skills for improving their agricultural produce
The advisor directed to expedite the pace of work for implementation of schemes to achieve the set target within given time span.
The Advisor stressed on encouraging farmers to adopt rainwater harvesting to ensure better availability and utilization of water for irrigation purposes.
He further asked to develop community water storage structures to overcome problem of limited irrigation facilities in rain fed areas. The Advisor further stressed on the promotion and better marketing of Indigenous Basmati Rice, which is famous across the world. He exhorted upon the field functionaries to reach out to the farmers with the technological innovations and research work to enhance their production. He asked for holding regular awareness camps and training programs to acquaint the farmers in far off areas with modern techniques for commercial agriculture, emerging trends in organic farming, processing, marketing and production aspects of different crops on scientific lines.