Muhmmad Afzal Bhat, Commissioner/Secretary Agriculture Production Department today reviewed the functioning of Seed Multiplication Farm, Chinore during his visit to the border area and inspected the field condition of wheat, toria, oats, gram, mustard, peas and potato seed crops.Mr Bhat also inspected the latest machinery being used at the farm like combines, seed drills, trans-planters, multi-crop-threshers, tractors, potato planters, ridgers, offsets etc. and said that efficient use of the machinery should be ensured. He directed the Farm staff to prepare plans for running the farm on modern scientific lines with utilization of latest machinery and available technologies to produce best quality seeds for the farmers.He further asked the farm staff to increase the productivity and revenue realization at the farm through Integrated Farming Systems (IFSs), Micro-Irrigation and promotion of Organic Farming and directed the farm officers to prepare and submit plans in this regard so that funds are arranged for the same. He impressed upon the officers to review the functioning of the farms periodically to identify the gaps and to bring innovations and improvements for enhancement of production and productivity.
The Commissioner also interacted with the management staff and the workers and technician staff of the farm and listened to various problems of the staff regarding their regularization and amendment of service rules for which Mr Bhat assured to address their genuine demands at an earliest. He asked the farm staff to work with sincerity and dedication to increase the productivity and production in the Agriculture Sector which is the backbone of our economy. He directed the SMS Agriculture Engineering and other concerned staff to survey the unserviceable tractors, machinery and combines process of their replacement is done before harvesting of the crops.Earlier the Commissioner Agriculture alongwith the Director and Joint Director of Agriculture Inputs inspected the Grassland and Fodder Development Farm Chak Jagger where wheat, vegetable and improved lines of grasses are being raised and multiplied.
Director Agriculture, Jammu H. K. Razdan who accompanied the Commissioner apprised regarding the developments made in the quality seed production of crops at the Farm despite being located at vulnerable international border and having limitations of irrigation facilities. It was informed that the farm is spread over an area of 2586 acres out of which 300 acres is irrigated. He also informed that the farm is running in profit for the last few years with the introduction of the scientific management interventions and use of better technologies. Mr Razdan apprised that foundation and breeder seed 08 high quality elite and high yielding varieties of wheat, 7 varieties of fodder oats and barseem, 2 of mustard and 4 varieties of pulses including gram, peas and lentil are being multiplied at the farm in the current Rabi season in an area of 2300 acres for multiplication and supply to the farmers during next rabi season.
K. S. Sambyal, Joint Director of Agriculture Inputs, Jammu apprised that the latest breeder seed varieties among these for wheat are PBW-644, HD-2967, PBW-621-50, HD-3043, HD-3086, Raj-4083 and for mustard are RB-50, RSPN-25 and DGS-1. The breeder seed of Oats variety Subzar and SKU-28 received from SKUAST-Kashmir is also being grown at the farm during current rabi crops.Earlier, Subash Panotra, Farm Manager, SMF, Chinore gave detailed presentation of the various undergoing farm activities and operations at the farm like spraying of weedicicides in wheat crop, Sowing of Wheat, top dressing of earlier sown wheat, harvesting of toria crop etc. He also apprised the commissioner regarding various difficulties of the workers, shortage of technical and ministerial staff.Later on the visiting officers also attended the retirement party of Devi Dayal who retired as driver at SM Farm Chinore after rendering 42 years of service where he was presented with gifts and bouquets by the Commissioner Agriculture and Director Agriculture.