Director Horticulture Jammu, Ram Savak, today inaugurated Facilitation Centre cum Sale Counter of value added products at Government Fruit Plant Nursery, Siot, Rajouri in presence of PRI members, officers of the Department and farmers of the adjoining areas.
The Director emphasized on the need for establishment of individual processing units for fruit processing/ fruit drying/ spices preparation etc. for which the Department of Horticulture is providing a 50 percent subsidy.
He said that women farmers should form their Farmers Club/ FPO’s / Self Help Group’s so that they can establish processing units on community level and take this business as an entrepreneurship. Later, the Director chaired a Farmers Awareness cum Interaction Programme at Govt. Fruit Plant Nursery, Siot wherein more than 100 farmers of Sunderbani, Nowshera and Kalakote horticulture zones participated.
While addressing the farmers, the Director laid stress on implementation of different schemes viz: New orchard establishment, Processing units, Creation of irrigation sources, Mechanization, Pack House, Vermicompost units etc. Director said that funds will not be a constraint in the implementation of schemes and assured them of timely payment of subsidies as funds stands released under CAPEX and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
He also listened patiently to the problems / grievances of farmers and assured them that all their legitimate grievances shall be resolved in a time bound manner. On the occasion, Chief Horticulture Officer Rajouri, Madan Lal Tak also briefed farmers about the different schemes being implemented in district Rajouri.
Besides farmers, DLSMS, Jyoti Parkash, DHO, Shafqat Hussain, MCC Sunil Mahnoori, HDOs, Arun Kumar and Darvinder Kumar were also present in the programme.