Director Agriculture Kashmir Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi today said that there is a steady increase in the conversion of farmland for non-agriculture use over the past three decades, which needs to be checked by coordinated efforts with other departments and farming community.Andrabi expressed these views during a Teleconference with the Chief Agriculture Officers of Kashmir Division.“Unplanned constructions like raising of colonies, factories, brick kilns, shopping complexes and other commercial establishments is severely effecting agriculture sector of the State”, he said, added that the situation threatens to make Kashmir food deficit.Andrabi highlighted the role of Agriculture department as an important stakeholder and directed the Chief Agriculture Officers, officers of the Law Enforcement Agency and other senior officers of the department to play their role with utmost commitment to check the conversion of Agriculture land. He called upon the officers to ensure necessary steps to increase awareness among the farmers regarding the long-term impact of farmland conversion. He advised that for increasing production and productivity, need of the hour is to achieve high efficiency levels in the preservation, utilization of land and water resources, altogether prohibiting conversion of productive agriculture lands for non-agriculture purposes, and taking time bound measures to check conversion of agriculture land and degradation of water resources.He deliberated upon the officers that during the farmer’s exposure visits/awareness camps organised under ATMA and other Schemes, the farmers should be given Training/Awareness about growing of area specific crops and High-Value crops having commercial value to increase their income.