J&K govt to provide modern storage facilities for farmers

The Jammu and Kashmir government will provide modern storage facilities for farmers at the village level for round the year market linkages to strengthen farm economy and motivate the young to join the agri-sector.

Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir made the announcement while inaugurating a day long Kissan Mela cum Exhibition in Budgam district yesterday.

Mir said such storage facilities would help farmers strengthen their economic conditions and motivate the youth to opt for agriculture as a profit-making activity.

"Providing market opportunities to farmers would help them to strengthen their economy and also motivate the youth to opt for agriculture as profiting activity," he said.

"The youth are coming forward to adopt the agriculture as profiting activity and I assure that the agriculture department shall provide every assistance to them for their encouragement," he added.

Mir asked the farmers to use latest techniques to enhance the quality of produce so as to meet national and global standards.

"If the farmers of J&K want to compete at national level, they have to introduce mechanisation and latest agri- techniques besides using latest agriculture inputs so as to enhance the quality production of national and global standard," Mir said.

The minister said the thrust area is to introduce mechanisation in agriculture and horticulture across the state and various schemes have been launched by the department to provide 25-50 per cent subsidy to farmers for purchasing agriculture machinery items from registered companies.

He said that during the current year, the department has a target to provide 77 Power tillers, 40 tractors, 142 Vermi compost units, 4 bore wells, 2 number of water Harvesting system, 159 poly green houses and other inputs to the farmers of Budgam district.

Minister for Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Syed Rohulla Mehdi, Vice Chairman, Kissan Welfare Board, Rachpal Singh and Director Agriculture Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Loan also spoke on the occasion.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Targeting hardliners, Omar Abdullah wants Kashmiris to ignore election boycott calls

Manhunt launched to nab anti-national graffiti suspects in Kashmir

Kashmir: Strike against spurious drug trade evokes little response

Kashmir has become hub of sub-standard medicines: Darakshan Andrabi