Director Horticulture Jammu Ram Savak on Sunday attended a mega awareness camp here at Panchayat Agar Jitto and educated the local farmers about different horticulture intervention schemes for increasing production and income of farmers.The Director Horticulture Department interacted with the members of Prerna Cluster Level Federation of JKRLM, an amalgam of various Self Help Groups of Reasi district. The director asked the SHGs to associate with the horticulture department and assured that the department will help them in formalization of the Micro Food Processing units under the PMFME scheme, a landmark initiative of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan for the value addition of fruit products which will not only generate employment opportunities but also ameliorate their income. While addressing a large gathering of farmers including women, Ram Savak asked them to adopt the diversification of crops in their fields to earn whole year. He apprised them about the incentives available under various centrally and state sponsored schemes of the department and urged them to come forward and avail the benefits on different components viz: Bore Well, Geo-tanks, Drip irrigation, Custom Hiring Centres, Plantation of Strawberry, Aloevera etc. for upliftment of their socio- economic status.
He also laid emphasis on planting High Density Plants and exotic fruit crops like Dragon Fruit in their fields so as to get more income from the same area, thereby helping in doubling the farmers income.As a part of Sawash Bharat Abhiyan, Safai Abhiyan was also started by the Director at Panchayat Ghar Agar Jitto, accompanied by the officers/ officials and locals of the area.Later, the Director Horticulture launched a plantation drive by planting a sapling of Citrus plant at Agar Jitto in the presence of PRI members and officials of the department.Further, the Director inspected the Dagozi Bagh and Lattori fruit plant nurseries of the department. He instructed the Chief Horticulture Officer, Reasi to complete the civil works pending in the nurseries and enhance the production of fruit plants to make the department self -reliant to meet out the demand of the fruit plants of the farmers.He was accompanied by Chief Horticulture Officer Reasi Brij Vallabh Gupta, DLSMS Reasi Sh. Sandeep Sharma, HDO and officials of the department.