Union Agriculture Ministry’s Technical Advisory Committee visits Kashmir

Srinagar: To review the preparations for early implementation of crop insurance scheme in Kashmir Division, a Technical Advisory Company (TAC) from Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India has started its four-day visit to Kashmir.
The team will finalize the modalities for crop insurance schemes viz Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY) / Restructured weather-based crop insurance scheme in Kashmir Division for Apple and Saffron.
On the first day the technical advisory committee had a meeting with Vice Chancellor of SKUAST (K) Nazir Ahmad in which different stakeholders also participated. Speaking on the occasion, VC said Apple is the only crop that saved the economy of the State during the period of turmoil. Seven lakh families and more than twenty-five lakh people in the valley are directly or indirectly related to Apple trade, he said. While talking of saffron he said it is a Rs 600 crore business, therefore, both of these crops are of national importance and hence the insurance for these crops will hugely serve the farming community.
The head of TAC, Sunil Kumar said PMFBY is a landmark scheme for the farming community. He said the main purpose is to provide support to the farmers by means of crop insurance to meet up losses incurred due to the crop failures from natural calamities. He said we are here to finalize the recommendations and procedures that are to be adopted during the implementation of PMFBY in Kashmir Division. Efforts are on that all the concerned are addressed and all the stakeholders are taken on board, he said.
Director Agriculture Kashmir Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi who is also the mission director PMFBY said the prime concern of the department is to safeguard the farmers interests under all circumstances and efforts for the successful implementation of PMFBY is one of the initiatives in this direction. He said the insurance cover to the farmers produce will boost morale and it will have a positive impact on rural economy.
The meeting was attended by Sunil Kumar Assistant Director Credits Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare Government of India, S.R Joshi Senior Consultant PMFBY Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Government of India, SSSaksena DGM Agriculture insurance company, Haji Altaf Hussain Director NSSO Kashmir, Sonum Lotus Director Indian Meteorological Department, Representatives of leading insurance companies, Director Research SKUAST(K) M.Y Zargar, Joint Director Agriculture Extension Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, and Technical Officer to Director Agriculture Kashmir Suhail Inamullah.
Later the TAC members had a field visit of different saffron and apple growing areas. They also visited the state of art spice park at Dusoo Pampore.