The Agriculture Department, Kupwara today organized a day long Kisan Mela at Agriculture Complex, here in which Agriculture and allied departments installed their stalls to showcase machinery and high yielding variety seeds.The Mela was organized as a part of ‘Aazadi Ka Amrit Mahotsov’ and was attended by hundreds of progressive farmers of the district.The Chairman, District Development Council, Kupwara Irfan Sultan Panditpori and Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, Imam Din co-chaired the function and inspected different stalls installed by various departments.The president, Municipal Committee, Kupwara, Reyaz Ahmad Mir ; BDC chairman, Trehgam , Mohammad Abdullah; BDC Chairman Machil, Ghulam Rasool Khan, Chief Agricultural Officer, Nazir Ahmad Wani, scientist, Subject Matter Specialists, Officers of Agriculture and allied departments were present at the occasion.In his address, the Chairman District Development Council, Irfan Sultan Panditpori said that Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and needs special attention for its proper boosting. He stressed the need for introducing a double cropping system in the district so that the income profile of the farmer community gets better. He also urged for banning use of polythene in the district.Panditpori asked the Chief Agriculture Officer to expand the realm of modern farming in every part of the district so that uniformity is maintained in agricultural development in the district.
The District Development Commissioner (DDC) Kupwara, Imam Din, in his address said that the Kissan Mela was organized as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.He said the objective of holding such a farmer awareness programme is to transform the knowledge bank of Agriculture Scientists and farm experts to the field so that the ambitious programme of Government to double the income of farmer community is achieved by the target period of 2022.The DDC directed the Agriculture Department to hold such programmes in every part of the district and simultaneously advised farmers to take advantage of new and innovative techniques of Agriculture Farming to yield better results at ground level. He stressed for use of cash crops, improved and high yielding variety seeds and the adoption of organic farming and use of Vermicompost.He also directed the Chief Agriculture Officer Kupwara to make a programme for youth who can visit the progressive farmers and observe their progress in agriculture farming.On the occasion, cash certificates worth Rs.5000 each were distributed among 12 progressive farmers. Earlier, various speakers including Scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, subject experts and progressive farmers spoke and shared their experience with the farmers.The Chief Agriculture Officer Kupwara, Nazir Ahmad Wani gave a detailed account of activities of the Agriculture Department with special mention of new targets in the district.