Director Agriculture Kashmir, Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi today convened a meeting to review the preparedness of the department for upcoming agriculture sowing season and to discuss the various challenges for the department amid a fast-changing Agri-climatic scenario of the state.While speaking on the occasion, Director said that there is need to strategize a mechanism to coop-up with the challenges due to unprecedented climatic changes from last few years. “It is the time we adopt those innovative techniques in the cultivation of different crops that are having long-term positive impact,” he added.He impressed upon the officers that after working out the agro-climatic suitability of different crops detailed strategies are to be developed and implemented. He asked the officers to organize awareness initiatives for the farmers to make them acquainted with how to face the fast changing agro-climatic scenario in the state.
He said for the economic development of the farming community the farmers need to diversify and adopt other agriculture activities like, Poultry, Bee-Keeping, Mushroom cultivation etc. He said department must aim to help farmers with crop diversity and resource use efficiency by implementing latest technologies and know-how.Earlier, Director Agriculture Kashmir was updated about the status of different preparations made by the department amid long dry spell in the Valley and changing agro-climatic conditions.Joint Director Agriculture Extension, Abdul Rahim Samoon, Joint Director Agriculture Inputs, Sajad Ahmad Shah and other senior officers of the department, were also present in the meeting.