Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura today inaugurated technologically-driven harvesting of paddy crop by flagging off High-Tech Combine Harverster and Thresher at Seed Multiplication Farm (SMF), Padgampora in district Pulwama.MLA Pulwama, Mohammad Khalil Bandh and MLA Pampore, Mir Zahoor Ahmad accompanied the Minister during his visit.Director Agriculture Kashmir apprised the Minister that Padgampora Agriculture Farm is a Seed Multiplication Farm of paddy and maize spread over 338 hectares with cultivable area of 240 hectares. He said 331 kanals of area is under paddy crop having varieties like K-448 and SR-I wherein a breeder seed was sown to get Foundation Seed.The minister was apprised of the activities in SMF and harvesting operation of paddy was kick-started by the Minister by combine harvester. A bumper yield of 600-700 Qtls of paddy foundation seed is expected to be harvested from 331 kanals of area.
The Minister also inspected the working at processing plant at Padgampora wherein processing, bagging, tagging, labeling of Rabi seeds like oats, oil seeds and wheat is in progress. The Farm Produce and seed procured from seed villages is dumped in this plant and certified seed after, processing, labeling, bagging, tagging is sent to all districts for distribution among the farmers on subsidized rates.The Minister was further apprised that 236.76 Qtls of oil seed, 224 Qtls of Oats and 181.25 Qtls of wheat seed have been dumped so for and the process is on, out of which 100 Qtls of oil seeds 126 Qtls of oats, 50 Qtls of wheat has been processed and is ready for dispatch.The Minister asked the Agriculture experts to cultivate hi-yielding seeds for better and quality produce adding that quality seed is must for increasing the growth of agriculture crops to make the state self-sufficient.He inspected various hi-yielding crop demonstration plots at the farm and directed the concerned functionaries to acquaint the latest agri technical know-how to the farmers by organizing awareness camps at block levels.
The Minister also instructed for keeping available hi-yielding rabbi seeds at all agriculture stores for convenience of the farmers. “Availability of hi-yielding seeds and quality chemical fertilizers are essential for better produce,” Hanjura asserted and asked agriculture functionaries to pay focused attention for ensuring the best seeds to the farmers to sow their rabbi crops well in time.The Agriculture experts apprised the Minister about different agriculture activities going in the farm and informed that good quality of seeds have been cultivated in the farm which would be distributed among the progressive farmers for onward multiplication.During the tour, the Minister received feedback from the farmers about the working of field agriculture workers. He asked the farmers to avail maximum benefits from the schemes launched by the Government for agriculture growth in the State adding that agriculture tools and hi-yielding seeds are being provided on nominal rates to the farmers. He said farmers should work on modern lines for improvement in agriculture produce. Director Agriculture Kashmir and other officers of the department accompanied the Minister during his visit.