The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today inspected various pesticides and fertilizer dealers at Pulwama to monitor the sale of registered products.
During the inspection, various fertilizers were found without registration and onspot directions were given to concerned fertilizer inspector to seize 150 qtls of PROM and submit the compliance report to the Directorate Office without any delay.
Meanwhile, during his Budgam visit, the Director Agriculture inaugurated the Semi Hi-tech Polyhouse at Chadoora. Speaking to the farmers, the Director said that the Semi Hi-tech Polyhouses would benefit the farmers of chadoora sub division and other areas of Budgam district.
He said that the department is working robustly not only to fulfill the local demands for fresh vegetables during the winter season but also to cater to the requirements of the Jammu region as well.
He said the department is increasing the number of hi tech poly houses in all the districts of Kashmir division aiming to provide fresh vegetables during the winter months.
He said the cropping intensity in Kashmir division is already 250 and efforts are on to raise it up to 300. He said the vegetable farmers who under open conditions raise three crops in a year, with the help of hi-tech polyhouses are able to produce five crops in a year.
With the result not only the cropping intensity, production and productivity is increased but the income of the farmers also gets significantly increased.
He said this also helps to generate employment opportunities as well. Director Agriculture said that we are committed to provide early seedlings to the farmers so that they could make optimum use of their land.
‘I am satisfied that this year we have already distributed seedling to the farmers at some places and this process will continue in coming days’, he added.
Director said that under the holistic document project, the foundation seed of different crop varieties would be multiplied at departmental forms and in this direction we have already started multiplication of foundation seed of maize (variety, SMC4) at Allowpora farm.
The seed is undergoing processing and in coming days these seeds would be provided to the CSPS, PSPS, and seed villages so that it could be propagated in all the areas of Kashmir division.
During the visit Director Agriculture was informed that the department was receiving a good response from the farmers for increasing the number of Semi Hi-Tech Polyhouses in the area.
Later, the Director Agriculture visited departmental Polyhouse at Nikas Hall Pulwama and reviewed the preparations for the distribution of vegetable seedlings of different crops to the farming community of the district.
Director Agriculture was accompanied by Joint Director inputs Farooq Ahmad Bhat, Deputy Director Agriculture Planning Mohammad Younis Chowdhury, And other senior officers of the department.