Stressing on effective implementation of various flagship programmes, Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and Horticulture, Priya Sethi, today directed the officers to take concerted efforts to tap the horticulture potential by introducing latest technological interventions and optimal utilization of funds.Priya Sethi said this while reviewing the functioning of Horticulture Department here today.The Minister took a comprehensive review of implementation and utilization of funds under CAPEX budget besides status of implementation of various flagship programmes such as Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and Prime Minister Development Package.Stressing on implementation of these programme, the Minister said that Horticulture sector has a vast potential to accelerate the economic growth and fetch good returns for the stake holder associated with the sector. Elaborating salient features of the Prime Minister Package for Horticulture sector, the Minister said that it will give a much needed impetus to the sector which is the mainstay of the State’s economy and stressed on laying focus on area expansion under the sector.
She added that the government is working hard on further streamlining of this vital sector through launch of several measures like upgradation and accreditation of nurseries, improvement in irrigation facilities and promotion of high density plants and holding of kissan melas.The Minister, while reviewing the production per hectare for every major horticulture crop for the year 2015-16 in Jammu division, directed the department to take all necessary measures to increase the yield for these crops. She asked for massive plantation drives to be undertaken especially in hillocks to saturate maximum unutilized areas in the state.The Minister also instructed the department to make provisions and find avenues to set up Amla processing units on PPP mode so that the farmers do not have to struggle to sell their crops and that they are able to get good prices for their crops.The Minister directed the concerned CHOs to identify potential areas to set up community based apricot drying units so that farmers are able to get maximum revenues from their crops and this would also increase the selling time for these perishable crops.
She also asked the department to lay thrust on the Kiwi production.“Jammu division has huge potential to compete with our neighbouring states in Kiwi production. Our state offers an optimal environment for its cultivation and therefore, department needs to make concerted efforts to identify such reaches and strive for acquiring a competitive edge for itself in kiwi production in the nation’’ she added.It was given out in the meeting that in the current financial year ending June 2016 about 274757.36 metric tonnes production of food crops was recorded from 118502.57 hectare area under cultivation.
The Minister also reviewed the progress on Mango village at Akhnoor and Malli Border.While exhorting upon the need to make use of latest technological interventions in the field, the Minister asked for pressing in more mobile testing labs and accelerate pace of issuance of soil health cards to the farmers.
The Minister was also apprised of action plan of Prime Minister Development Package 2016-17 which includes establishment of two small nurseries (1 hactare each), upgradation of 10 nurseries (4 hectare each), and setting up of 100 Vermicompost units. The PMDP package also includes special provisions for pack houses for the orchardists.It was informed in the meeting that till date 3011 soil samples have been tested in the department sponsored static soil laboratories and mobile testing laboratories benefitting 3870 farmers.Commissioner Secretary, M. H. Malik, Director Horticulture Jammu Bhawani Rakwal, Joint Director Horticulture Jammu Tarvinder Singh, DDs, CHOs, DHOs and other officers from all districts of Jammu division were present in the meeting.