Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir Saturday said that Agri Business Centres have been introduced to provide farm machinery to farmers on Custom Hire basis and these are proving very popular amongst the farmers.The Minister was speaking while inaugurating an Agri Business Centre at Majua Uttami, Pandorian, Bishnah established with an assistance of Rs 5 lakhs as back ended subsidy by the Department of Agriculture Jammu. MLA Bishnah Ashwani Sharma was also present at the occasion.Mir said that an amount of Rs 6.30 crores has been spent on promoting use of farm machinery during the last two years in the pision since the new policy was brought into force in 2011.
The Minister further said that the Agri Business Centre is an innovative concept introduced by the Department of Agriculture under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna to promote extensive use of machinery by the common farmers in the rural areas under Custom Hire Service System and eight such Centres are already functioning in different districts of Jammu pision.Minister further stated that the Farm Mechanization is helping the farmers to boost the agriculture production by adoption of innovative scientific techniques and is also resulting in higher returns to the farmers.
He said youth are also getting attracted to agriculture practises because of modern machinery.He also gave away cheques amounting to Rs 35 lakhs to various Farmer Groups /Associations as back ended subsidy for purchase of farm machinery for setting up five new Agri Business Centres in Jammu District at Jourian, Jaswan, Pargwal, and Nikki Marchangi Pallanwala. It includes subsidy for purchasing farm equipments, tools and machinery and for purchase of Rotavators, Combine Harvester, water harvesting tank and borewell under different Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
MLA Bishnah while addressing the farmers said that the Department of Agriculture was making all out efforts to increase production and productivity of crops by assisting the farmers to adopt latest technology in farming. He impressed upon the farmers to come forward and get themselves benefitted by the schemes and programmes of the Department.Beneficiaries of the Agri Business Centres while appreciating the efforts of the department thanked the Minister for providing them an opportunity to serve the farmers and keep them abreast with the latest innovations in agriculture.Some improved farm implements had also been displayed at the occasion for farmers at the Agri Business Centre which included Potato Planter Automatic, Potato Digger, Fertilizer Ridger, Reaper cum winder, Harrow etc.
The Minister witnessed the demonstration of Reaper cum Binder which is to be put into use during the current harvesting season for hiring out to the farmers by the Agri Business Centre.Director Agriculture Jammu, while speaking at the occasion presented the detail of activities and programmes run by the Department for increasing the production and productivity.Later the Minister also visited Procurement Mandi Bishnah set up by the Department of Agriculture Jammu for facilitating direct procurement of Wheat by Food Corporation of India from the farmers. Mir emphasized the need to make all out efforts to ensure that the farmers get the Minimum Support Price and expressed satisfaction on the timely setting up of the centre.Jt. Director Agri Ext. Dr S S Jamwal, Chief Agriculture Officer Jammu Jatinder Sharma, CAO Samba Dr Rama Kant, Distt. Agri. Officers, SDAOs and other officers and officials of the Department were also present at the occasion.