A meeting to review performance of Sericulture Development Department in Jammu Division was today chaired by Ajaz Ahamd Bhat, Director Sericulture J&K. During the review meeting, the concerned functionaries gave brief developmental activities of the Department under pre-cocoon and post-cocoon sectors in Jammu Division.
It was apprised that presently Sericulture has a lot of potential in Jammu Division with cocoon production ranging between 450 MT to 500 MT. The Director desired to develop Sericulture on modern lines to enable the farmers associated with the sector to get better returns.
He laid stress on resource utilizations and identifying the requirements of the Sector in the present context for generating additional sources of income for the rural masses and emphasized that in this endeavor efforts need to be taken by all the stakeholders by taking steps in the right direction.
The Director Sericulture exhorted the officers present in the meeting to put in concerted efforts to achieve targets and book expenditure by or before 25 March, 2024 which shall serve as an indicator for the performance of each officer responsible for the same.
During the deliberations, the Director Sericulture J&K impressed upon all the District Sericulture Officers to identify land for establishment of Kissan Khidmat Ghars across all the Districts of J&K which will serve as a one stop Center for extending farmer oriented services.
Besides, the District Sericulture Officers were further asked to furnish follow-up action with regard to the developmental projects being executed by the engineering wings in J&K and make personal efforts to remove all the hurdles hampering the developmental projects presently in progress.
The meeting was attended by Additional Director Sericulture Jammu, Ashwani Kr. Sharma; Development Officer, Rajouri, Development Officer Extension & Trainings, all District Sericulture Officers of Jammu Division, field Officers along with Accounts Planning and Technical Sections of the Directorate of Sericulture Jammu.
In his concluding remarks, the Director Sericulture instructed the Officers that production levels need to be doubled in the next five years through the required interventions for a substantial increase in quality Cocoon/Raw silk Production from the present levels with massive Mulberry plantations.
Department needs to work in synergy with clear cut strategies and developmental plans with focus on specific technological interventions at farmers level like use of Hot Air Drying facility by farmers, organizing cocoon markets within minimum time and covering the unexplored and potential areas through Cluster approach. The appointment orders under SRO-43 were also distributed among the next kin of ex-employees of Kathua and Reasi District by the Director.