Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura today called for preparation of vision document for the State to promote Agriculture production. He exhorted that the vision document should not be restricted to papers only but should serve as viable for future strategies to double the farmers income.The Minister was addressing a meeting convened to discuss the preparation of the vision document for the agriculture sector.
Principal Secretary Agriculture, Mr Sundeep Kumar Nayak, representative from SKUAST Kashmir, Director Agriculture Kashmir, Director Sericulture, Director Command Area Development (CAD) Kashmir, Managing Director J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation, Joint Directors of Agriculture and other officers were present in the meeting.Various stakeholders present in the meeting presented their vision for their respective departments. Vice Chancellor, SKUAST Jammu, Director Agriculture, Jammu, Director CAD, Jammu and Director, Extension SAKUST, Jammu presented their views through video conference.
The Minister exhorted upon all the participants that the vision document should reflect aspirations of the farming community. It was decided that vegetable cultivation brings more remuneration than others and therefore will be given a boost, and in this regard, cold chain and value addition facilities need to be created.The Minister also emphasized the need to link the farmers with the national portal for e-marketing of their produce. “Creation of irrigation facilities and organic farming will play an important role in future thus should form an important part of the vision document,” he said.Mr. Hanjura stressed upon the concerned officers to educate farmers about the latest techniques. He also asked the SKUAST authorities that the experiments done by them should go lab to lab.