Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura today announced that Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) will be soon launched in Kashmir valley after it was successfully launched in Jammu region.Reviewing an ICAR Regional Committee state level meeting, the Minister expressed hope that government is committed to double income of farmers in State by 2022.Hanjura said that State Government has already announced several innovative schemes for farmers with the intension to uplift their income and Government will soon launch PMFBY for farming community of valley after the scheme was successfully launched in Jammu region. He said that the scheme would compensate farmers incurred due to natural calamities. The Minister said that with the introduction of latest Agricultural Techniques and practices he is hopeful that farmers’ income would be doubled in the State by 2022. He said besides, other things the approach recommended by agriculture experts to double the income of farmers in a given time-frame will also be adopted in true spirit.The Minister also reiterated the need to increase farm productivity, quality production, reducing cost of production, access to market for better realization of farmers’ produce, policy support and infrastructural development.He mentioned that preservation and processing of agricultural commodities would not only reduce the wastage, but would also ensure the stable and assured market for the farmers, adding it will eventually increase their income.
The Minister exhorted upon the scientists of the both Jammu and Kashmir agricultural universities to make all out efforts in realizing the Prime Minister’s goal of doubling the farm income and advised them to redouble their efforts in reaching the farming community.He hailed both the Universities for their excellent research output and advised them to take their research to the farmers.The Minister stressed on need to take benefits of various State Government schemes so that the State dependency on other states could be reduced. He said presently 70 percent of goods are being imported from other states and by taking benefit from the State schemes the dependency could greatly be reduced.The Minister also released two publications of SKUAST University, “Journal of Research” and “Butterflies of Kashmir Himalayas.”Vice Chancellor (SKUAST) Kashmir, Prof Nazeer Ahmad, Vice Chancellor (SKUAST) Jammu P.K. Sharma, Principal Secretary Agriculture Production Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Commissioner Secretary Animal and Sheep husbandry, R.K. Bhagat, Secretary Horticulture, M.H. Malik, large number of faculty members and students of SKUAST were present during the meeting.The meeting was organized by Sher-e- Kashmir University of agriculture Sciences and Technology Kashmir (SKUAST).