Director Agriculture Production & Farmer's Welfare Department, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today held an interactive meeting with members of J&K Advisory Board for Development of Kisans (JKABDK) to work out a professional marketing platform for the cash crops grown in Kashmir valley.The meeting was attended by Managing Director JK Horticulture Produce & Marketing Corporation (JKHPMC), Er. Shafat Sultan; Secretary JKABDK, Abdul Hamid Wani, Joint Directors Agriculture Department, Chief Agriculture Officers, members of JKABDK and other concerned.At the outset of this meeting, Secretary JKABDK, Abdul Hamid Wani gave the brief introduction about the importance of the Board.While interacting with the Board Members, Director Agriculture stated that the government aspires to see the farmers prosperous and self-reliant as the farmers are the main stakeholders in contributing GDP of the region and the government is committed to double farmers’ income by 2022.He observed that the COVID-19 Pandemic has obstructed the growth of the Valley farmers as marketing of their produce has got affected.He said his office and JKHPMC jointly placed an innovative marketing platform for these crops especially F&V Produce, which helped these growers to sell their produce on competitive and reasonable prices during the current covid19 restrictions.
He informed that both the Department of Agriculture Kashmir and JKHPMC have started a marketing campaign of this season's crash crops especially for the vegetables and fruits by working out reasonable rates with the growers for which several refrigerated vans have been pressed into services to carry the fresh vegetables and fruits of growers directly to the end-users.He added that the move will help the growers /sellers to fetch them remunerative prices and these fixed rates shall also act as a deterrent for having a good market competition.Chowdhary informed that in order to make this market platform more vibrant and user friendly, the joint meeting was conducted by the Department of Agriculture Kashmir and MD JKHPMC with the nominated Board Members to seek their suggestions based on their field exposure in agriculture and in allied sectors.The interaction would help in suggestions, recommendations from farmers’ representatives and from the field officers and district heads of Agriculture Department & JKHPMC for better produce marketing, he added.Speaking on the occasion, MD JKHPMC Shafat Sultan emphasized that it has become necessary to do away with the traditional policies and practices in agriculture sector, and the farmers have to adapt now comprehensive reforms, best practices and modern technology available in agriculture and allied sectors.He informed that JKHPMC is already in the process to develop a professional market for the growers to defeat the middlemen culture.