The Department of Horticulture Sunday organized a daylong Mega awareness camp at Rajpura Mandi in district Poonch.More than 400 Farmers participated and put forth problems faced by them regarding Horticulture which were addressed on the spot.On the occasion, Director Horticulture Jammu, Rakesh Kumar Srangal, was the chief Guest .Chief Horticulture Officer Poonch Sushil Kumar Angurana, District Level Subject Matter Specialist (pomology) Sandeep Gupta, District Horticulturee Officer Gurdeep Singh, Head Radio Kashmir District Poonch Malhotra besides all the HDO’s of poonch district and panchs and sarpanchs were also present on the occasion.The programme was organized under Information dissemination among orchardists under Centrally Sponsored Schemes MIDH.Director Horticulture while interacting with the fruit Growers advised them to take maximum benefit by availing incentives available under various centrally sponsored and state sector schemes presently under implementation in the division. He impressed upon the farmers to keep close liaison with the field functionaries of the department so that they are able to get maximum benefit under different schemes.
He disclosed that department is going to start skill development programme in the temperate areas with an objective to train the local unemployed youth in various propagation techniques like budding, grafting and canopy management techniques like Pruning/training of fruit trees, so that they can act as master trainers and can train other local youth in the same.He also informed that Department is going to start Toll Free Number very shortly so that the technical problems of the farmers living in the Far Flung area will be addressed/solved on telephone by the panel of technical experts of the department.The outstanding orchardists/ Fruit Growers were honored by Director Horticulture by presenting them Mementoes. The participants appreciated the efforts made by the department in the conduct of such awareness camp.On the occasion, Chief Horticulture Officer also spoke and briefed the participants about the various activities being undertaken by the department in district Poonch. The programme ended with the vote of thanks by the CHO Poonch.