Horticulture Department Udhampur organised district level Kissan mela cum fruit show at Latti under Mission Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).Additional Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Dr. Gurvinderjeet Singh was the Chief Guest who formally inaugurated the kissan mela on the occasion. Chief Horticulture Officer, Udhampur Brij Vallabh Gupta presented welcome address.Nearly, 1000 fruit growers from far-flung areas of the district participated in the Kissan Mela along with their fruit exhibits. More than, 50 fruit samples including fresh and dried samples of various kinds including apple, pear, quince, pomegranate, persimmon, lime, galgal, walnut, almond and peanut besides, value added products such as jam, juice, pickles, squashes of different fruits were also displayed in the mela to boost the home scale processing of horticulture produce. A large number of orchardists across the district also participated in the Fruit show and displayed their fruit samples. They were also made aware about the latest technologies in the field of Horticulture which can easily be used by them for increasing their produce.
Various other departments like Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Sericulture, Fisheries, Floriculture, Education, Health and Social welfare also participated in the event and establish their stalls on various schemes with an aim to make the farmers aware about the various schemes launched by the Government and being implemented in the district for their welfare.Speaking on the occasion, the ADC lauded the efforts of Horticulture department in organizing such events and added that such fairs also provide a platform to the farmers of the far flung areas to interact with each other. Highlighting the various benefits of the organic farming, the ADC stressed upon the farmers to adopt organic farming. The ADC also inspected the different stalls organized by the different departments during the mela.On the occasion, Golden Cards under Ayushman Bharat schemes were also distributed among beneficiaries and chief guest exhorted upon all Sarpanchs to identify beneficiaries under different schemes in their areas and ensure they get the benefit under different schemes.Later, students of different educational institutions besides renowned artists of the district including Ramalo Ram and party presented a colourful cultural programme which was highly applauded by the audience.Among others, Sub Divisional Magistrate Dudu Pardeep Singh Chib , DIO Er. Sajad Bashir Somberia, Deputy CEO Ram Kumar, BDC Chairman Darshan Kumar other senior officers of various department were present on the occasion.