Director Agriculture Kashmir, Altaf Aijaz Andrabi today visited Bandipora to take review of various ongoing developmental programs taken up by the department in the district.During the review, the Director took a detailed feedback regarding progress of centrally sponsored schemes, Capex (Physical and Financial), Status of physical achievements made under different schemes, status of Mushroom and Apiculture development works, progress of soil conservation works, progress under soil health card scheme, latest status of KCC, PM-Kissan and PMKMY scheme.The Director during the visit inspected Soil Testing Laboratory Watpora and said that besides mobile soil testing vans the department has established 10 soil testing laboratories at all district headquarters which are fully operational.He said as infrastructure is readily available the testing is done free of cost and the soil testing samples are collected from farmers’ field by Agriculture Field Functionaries who submit the same to the nearest STLs.The Director further said that the STLs test the samples in the lab for evaluation of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, EC and pH balance. The results are reported to the concerned farmers in the form of a soil health card with the advice to apply specific doses of nutrients.Later Director visited Vegetable Seed Multiplication Farm Watpora and interacted with farmers and Officials working at farm.During the visit director stressed upon the officers and field functionaries to aware the farmers and growers with the latest technologies and farmer welfare schemes launched by the department for the welfare of farmers, so that they get benefitted from these schemes. During the visit, the Director was accompanied by Joint Director Agriculture inputs, Joint Director Agriculture Extension, Project Coordinator Mushrooms, Deputy Director Agriculture Central, Chief Agriculture Officer Bandipora and other officers of the district.