Director Horticulture reviews performance of departments in Ramban District

Ramban : To review the progress of developmental activities (Physical & Financial) being carried out under Capex/UT CSS in the District Ramban, a review meeting was chaired by Director Horticulture, Jammu, Ram Savak, Joint Director Horticulture Jammu,.C.L Sharma, Chief Horticulture Officers of District Ramban, Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, and Reasi besides other officers & officials of district Ramban attended the meeting.

At the outset, the Chief Horticulture Officer, Ramban Anil Gorkha presented an overview of the District and informed the chair about the achievements made under different ongoing Horticulture developmental schemes launched by the Government for the uplift of the farming community.

The Director Horticulture Jammu, while reviewing the implementation of government schemes, exhorted upon the field staff to organize awareness camps, Kissan goshtis, etc. to encourage the farmers to avail departmental schemes, especially Area Expansion and ensure availability of quality plant material to them for establishment of new orchards and for the ultimate benefit of the fruit growers.

He emphasised to glamorize the Horticulture Profession and to make a shift from Traditional Horticulture to Smart Horticulture by adopting the latest innovations like Modified High Density Plantation, Strawberry cultivation, Micro-irrigation technologies, Protected Cultivation techniques, Organic farming, Custom Hiring Centres, Farm Mechanization etc.

He also stressed upon the formation of Farmers Producers Organization (FPO’s) in the district so that the farmers can get good returns after proper value addition of their produce.Further, he instructed them to motivate farmers to take the benefits of the NHB Schemes and Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

AIF aims at providing a financing facility through interest subvention and credit guarantee support on loans for creation of post harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets, he informed.

Later, he inspected the developmental activities in the ACHD farm at Ramban and issued on spot instructions to the concerned and stressed the need for optimum utilization of land in the farm for production of quality planting material of improved cultivars.

At last, the staff of district Ramban assured the chair to extend full cooperation and vowed to work hard for the betterment of the farming community and achieve the targets in time.