To Promote and Strengthen Farm Mechanization, a field demonstration of Power Weeder was conducted today here at Krishi Bhawan Talab Tillo in presence of Director Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare, Jammu, K. K. Sharma and Director Horticulture Jammu, Ram Savak. Besides display and demonstration of brush Cutters, water lifting pumps, power sprayers/dusters, pole saw and other machinery was held on the occasion.The Department of Agriculture Jammu is promoting farm mechanization for improving precision and production efficiency in farming as well as providing solution to the problem of farm labour. The Director outlined that the unique machine (Power Weeder) consists of literally adjustable tines and discs to work between the crop rows and facilitates removal of Weeds, unwanted plants and grasses that hamper the optimum growth of crops.The farmers were advised to adopt such innovative technology as it helps in reducing the cost of cultivation as it is both labour and time effective. This machine comes with various secondary attachments to perform different farm operations.
He said that use of advanced farm machinery can also help the farmers in income generation by performing different agri-operations like sowing, weeding, harvesting etc in the field of fellow farmers. He also informed that the department was heading swiftly towards achieving the national target of 2.50 KW/Hectare usage of farm power which at present stands at 1.75 KW/Hectare in J&K.Those present on the occasion included Joint Director(Inputs), A. S. Reen, Joint Director (Marketing), Mahesh Verma, Joint Director(Farms), Rajinder Sharma, Joint Director (Apiculture & Mushroom Development), Iqbal singh, Agronomist (Vegetable Improvement scheme), J. C. Raina, Agriculture Economist, Vivek Kohli besides other officers. Later, the Director Agriculture also inspected the field activities at Jammu Province Agriculture Experimental FDarm (JPAEF) to assess the condition of vegetable crops grown here for seed purpose. Vegetable crops including Spinach (Beet-07), Coriander (Jammu-07), Radish (JW) are currently standing in the farm. Director said that Breeder/Foundation seed of different vegetable crops is grown here on scientific lines to produce the certified seed which is supplied to the farmers after thorough testing for all necessary production parameters.