Amid lockdown restrictions, District administration Kathua managed 324 Combine Harvester machines to harvest wheat crop and facilitate farmers to procure over 30 direct rice seeding machines for sowing paddy crop in the district thus lessening the labour dependency of the farmers.The Kathua administration rolled out a whole raft of initiatives through the Agriculture Department Kathua to help farmers experiencing difficulties to carry out agricultural activities such as harvesting and selling of their winter crops and sowing summer crops across the district.As per the data, the District Kathua has an area of 39385 hectare under wheat cultivation during Rabi 2019-20 crop season. The agriculture department was directed to remain proactive in managing the entry of combine harvester machines from neighbouring states to cater harvesting machinery needs of the farmers. An Agriculture Facilitation Counter was also established at Lakhanpur to facilitate the entry of combine harvesters from outside the state to cater harvesting needs of the farmers.
As many as 324 combine harvesters were pressed into operation for timely harvesting of wheat crop covering over 90% of the total wheat cultivated area of the district. A special cell constituted in the office of Chief Agriculture Officer Kathua to facilitate agriculturists to get movement passes for plying of tractors, trolleys, thrashing machine and other agriculture implements besides smooth movement of farmers and labourers to carry out agriculture activities.Opening of 7 Wheat Procurement centres (Mandis) in the district in collaboration with Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure wheat at Rs 1925 the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed for the current wheat crop were among the slew of measures taken by the department. These mandis gradually become a one stop destination for farmers where they get assured MSP for their yield.In view of ensuing Kharif sowing season, the Agriculture Department Kathua introduces a maiden innovative technique of Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) cultivation to the farmers for sowing of paddy through Direct Rice Seeders machine.
Pertinent to mention here that Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) cultivation refers to the establishment of paddy crops from direct sowing of rice seed in the field rather than transplanting seedlings from nursery and due to this method of sowing there is not only saving of the labour but also the water.30 farmers of the district have so far adopted the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) cultivation and purchased the machinery for which a subsidy of Rs 20000 has been provisioned by the Agriculture Department. Subsidy is also being provided by the department of agriculture to the farmers for the purchase of laser land leveller, paddy transplanter, cono weeder and manual / battery operated sprayers.With Direct Rice seeding machinery the farmers can avoid the major problem of labour shortage for paddy transplanting especially in the present time of covid-19 pandemic.During the lockdown a Machinery Mela was also organized at village Parnalla in Billawar sub-division inaugurated by Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, K.K Sharma and Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam in which tractors, diesel ploughs, threshers, Honda pump sets distributed to farmers on subsidy under various central sponsored schemes.To manage the possible Locust threat, District and Sub-Divisional level management committees have been constituted to create awareness among the farming community.The awareness camps were organised at village Korepunnu, Mehrajpur, Chandrachack, falling under Rajbagh and Marheen sub-divisions to educate farmers about possible attack of locust.The Chief Agriculture Officer, Arun Gupta disclosed that locusts can travel up to 130 km a day and 40 million locusts can eat 3500 person food. He said locust swarms move and damage the crop during day time and rest on the tree and vegetation during nights. The resting swarms can be destroyed by using insecticides sprays in dusk or in the morning during 6-10 amMeasures such as making high pitch sounds by beating drums, clanging utensils, playing music, running tractors without silencer was also suggested to the farmers to get rid of damage by locust attack. Scientists from KVK said that to control locusts use Chloropyriphos 20EC@ of 1200 ml per Ha. Malathion 50EC @ of 1850 ml Per Ha. and Lamda Cyhalothrin 5EC @ 400 ml per Ha.As per the details given by the Agriculture Department Kathua, 241850 vegetable seedlings raised under protected conditions (Poly House) have also been distributed among the farmers of district Kathua.Crop cut experiments for yield assessment of kharif crops were conducted by Agriculture Officers in association with revenue department of district Kathua during the period of lockdown in the district.