Stressing the farming community to avail optimum benefits from people friendly policies and programmes launched by the present Government, the Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir today said that the initiatives for giving flip to the sericulture activities in the State will continue in future also so that the State is developed into a central silk market in the Country. The Minister said this after inaugurating first of its kind Mega Kissan Mela organized by the Sericulture Development Department at Laddan in Udhampur district today.Addressing a well-attended gathering of cocoon growers of the area, the Minister said that due to transferring of latest Agri-techniques from lab to land, the production of cocoon in the State has increase manifolds benefiting a large number of farmers/ cocoon rearers. “It is our paramount duty to provide expertise and financial support with incentives to the farmers to help them boost production and productivity in various fields including sericulture”, the Minister said, adding that adequate market facilities will be provided to sell their produced on better remunerated prices.
Referring to conducting of Kissan Melas in far flung areas, the Minister said that these events provide know how to the farmers about latest farming technologies.Mr. Mir announced that the support price of the cocoon has been increased from Rs. 300 to Rs. 510 this year. He said that 90000 plants are available in Udhampur district alone for the farmers. He said that insurance cover has also been increased from Rs. 15000 to Rs. 25000 for cocoon growers for a petty premium share of Rs. 56 only.Highlighting the activities of the Sericulture Department, Director Sericulture, Dhanbir Singh said that 675 Mt of cocoon has been produced by the farmers in Jammu province this year earning Rs. 12.50 crore which is ever record production in Jammu pision.Legislators, Balwant Singh Mankotia and K. C Bhagat also spoke on the occasion.Among others Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Ms. Yasha Mudgal, Additional Director Sericulture Jammu, M. L Chadgal, Joint Director Silk Board, R. L Dhar, Deputy Director, Ms, Anju Koul, Sarpanchs, Panchs and large number of cocoon growers attended the workshop.Later, the Minister distributed the cheques worth Rs. 2.25 lakh among 19 cocoon growers for setting up rearing houses.