Srinagar, 14-May;Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today inaugurated the ‘’Farm Day” at Floriculture Farms Lalmandi, Srinagar. To kick start the event Director Agriculture also participated in some farm activities there. Pertinent to mention that there are more than 30 Departmental farms which are the key source for the supply of seeds of different agricultural crops to the farming community of the region.Addressing the media on the occasion, Director Agriculture said the main aim of organizing such valley wide events, on one hand is to sensitize the Departmental work force about the importance of Departmental Farms in the overall agriculture eco system and on the other hand to evolve an outreach system to involve real tillers of the land with the scientific interventions in the departmental farms and the farmers field. Director Agriculture said that the Department is vigorously chasing the dream of self-reliance in seed requirements for the region.Chowdhary Iqbal said that we are working on a long term plan wherein agro climatic region specific cropping system is introduced and adopted in the departmental farms so that it could be replicated in the farmer’s field.Department is focusing on some key areas like the sustenance of natural resources (soil and water), saving farmers from distress, and attracting the rural youth towards agriculture, he said and added. Director Agriculture said that the Department is strengthening the departmental farms on the concept of micro level cropping diversification and marketing plan, as the effective crop diversification is a pre-requisite not only for profitable agriculture but also for sustenance of natural resources.Iqbal said that from the last 2 years the Department has introduced a reoriented model for the departmental farms and farmer’s field which is focused mainly on conservation/precision irrigation techniques in relation to the different agro climatic conditions. We are practicing promotion of integrated agriculture (integrated pest management, integrated nutrient management and integrated water management) during the cultivation of different agricultural crops in these departmental farms rather than chemical based agriculture.Similar functions were held at vegetable seed multiplication farm Tapper Kreeri, Potato Seed Multiplication Farm Gulmarg, Agrostology Farm Yarikhah Tangmarg, Seed Multiplication Farm Padgampora, S.M.Farm Watapora Bandipora, S.M.Farm Allowpora, S.M. Farm Markundal Sumbal. MFC Farm Nunnar Ganderbal, S.M.Farm Trikanjan and other Departmental farms across the valley.(CNS)
