A five-day farmers' tour and exposure visit under the SAME scheme (Sub Mission of Agriculture Extension) of ATMA was flagged off today by Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma. The tour includes 50 farmers from different areas of Poonch district, who will undergo technical training at SKAUST Jammu, observe farm demonstrations, improved crop variety trials and on-field experiments and interact with extension staff on organic farming, eco-friendly pest control, water-efficient techniques and climate-resilient cropping practices suited to hill and mountainous regions.
The DC said exposure visits to institutions like SKAUST Jammu give farmers an opportunity to learn advanced technologies, improved crop management, climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable farming methods. He urged participants to engage actively during the training, interact with scientists and experts and share the knowledge gained with fellow farmers in their villages to help raise agricultural productivity and farmers' income across the district.
Chief Agriculture Officer Jograj Singh Slathia told farmers that the tour would help participants and other farmers in the district adopt scientific methods to enhance productivity and promote modern farm practices, organic farming and increased cropping intensity.
Among those present at the flag-off were District Agriculture Officer (Extension) Rajan Kumar, district-level subject matter specialists, the Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer, sub-divisional subject matter specialists and other field functionaries.