Amid fluctuating and unpredictable weather conditions, the Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today asked all the Chief Agriculture Officers of the Division to ensure that all the necessary measures are taken to educate the farmers regarding various steps to be adopted while dealing with the present weather situation. Speaking during an emergency meeting with the Joint Directors and Chief Agriculture officers of Kashmir Division to review the impact of prevailing weather conditions on the Agriculture sector, the Director said farmers need moral support in addition to technical guidance under prevailing conditions in order to tackle the situation that emerged from the present scenario.He asked the officers to assess the situation and maintain digital records of the impact of the present weather scenario on the agriculture sector. He also highlighted the importance of devising a strategy vis-à-vis the upcoming rabi season so that the losses caused due to recent rainfall/snowfall could be compensated to some extent. The Director asked the officers to mobilize the field staff for on-farm training programmes for farmers and special impetus should be given to weather oriented situation management.
The farmers should be well equipped with adequate technologies with respect to cope up with the scenario emerging out of unprecedented weather conditions, he added.The Director called upon the officers to work with close coordination with the allied department so that the farmers interests could be served under all circumstances. The Director also took stock on physical/ financial progress report under Capex/CSS, status of registration of BeeKeepers on Madhukranti Portal, Survey Report Status, PM Kisaan, KCC, KMY, Soil Health Card scheme status, procurement of Paddy/ Potato from Seed Villages and status on PMFBY.Deliberating upon the officers, the Director instructed that field functionaries should be kept on the move and make one to one contact with the farmers. The meeting was attended by Joint Director Agriculture Inputs Farooq Ahmad Shah, Joint Director Agriculture Extension Sheikh Shahid Iqbal, Joint Director Farms Dr. Syed Waseem Ahmad Shah, Joint Director Engineering M. I Khateeb, Joint Director Apiculture and Mushrooms M. Syed Peer, besides all Chief Agriculture Officers of Kashmir Division and other Senior officers of the department.