Director Agriculture Kashmir reviews progress on implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes

SRINAGAR: Awareness about the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs), flagship programmes among the farming community of the region has a key role to play in the successful implementation of these programmes on ground, said Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal.

The Director said this while taking stock of progress on the implementation of different CSSs in Kashmir adding that the targets under these schemes could be achieved by working in close coordination with the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) on ground.

Addressing the officers, the Director marked the importance of awareness among the farmers with respect to different CSSs and said Panchayat level models of integrated approach must be adopted during the implementation of different programmes.

He said the outcome of different interventions by the Department in the fields of progressive farmers should be replicated on the fields of an ordinary farmer.

Director impressed upon the officers to submit projects under the agriculture infrastructure development fund so that employment opportunities could be generated for the young agri-pruners, farmers. He said the Department is committed to skill development of young farmers of the region and different initiatives have already been taken for the handholding of such skilled farmers.

Director asked the officers to ensure timely expenditure of all the allocated funds so that the farming community could benefit.

He also instructed them to explore the opportunities and organize programmes for the farmers wherein the technical experts could teach them the different value addition practices for different crops so that the produce from the region could reach new markets.

The meeting was attended by Joint Director Agriculture Extension Mohammad Syed Peer, Joint Director Agriculture Inputs Farooq Ahmad Bhat, Joint Director Agriculture Marketing Mohammad Qasim Gani, Joint Director Agriculture Farms Iqbal Singh, Joint Director Apiculture and Mushroom Tabasum Naaz, Deputy Director Agriculture Planning Mohammad Younis Chowdhary, all Chief Agriculture Officers of concerned districts, Sectoral heads and Nodal officers of different schemes.