Director Agriculture Jammu reviews arrangements for wheat procurement

Jammu: Director Agriculture Production & Farmers welfare, Jammu, K.K. Sharma today reviewed the arrangements for wheat procurement in view of approaching harvesting season at a meeting held here at Krishi Bhawan, Talab Tillo.
The modalities in this regard were finalized during deliberations wherein attention of participating officers was drawn towards smooth and timely procurement of wheat by the Food Corporation of India directly from producers through DBT.
The arrangements regarding space/gunny bags, logistic support and other necessary facilities for organizing procurement mandies by the Food Corporation of India in coordination with the Agriculture and J&K Horticulture Planning and marketing Departments were discussed threadbare in the meeting.
The Director Agriculture maintained that the purpose of opening these procurement centres is to save the farmers from distress sale of their produce and ensure that they get a minimum support price of Rs 1975/Quintals as notified by the Ministry for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The officers of Agriculture and FCI departments were directed to select and finalize the location of procurement centres as per feasibility and catchment area.
Director informed the meeting that estimated procurement of 10000 to 20000 Metric Tons of wheat is being expected during the current Rabi season. He impressed upon the participants to give wide publicity among the farmers regarding this procurement facility as well as adherence to COVID- 19 advisory while operating procurement mandis.
It was given out that opening of 10 Wheat Procurement Centers (Mandis) for Jammu district, 8 for Kathua and 2 Wheat Procurement Centers for Samba have been agreed upon this year. Further it was decided that the process of opening the mandis will be completed from 15th to 20th of April, 2021. Chief Agriculture officers of Jammu, samba and Kathua districts were directed to mobilize the Extension Agency of the department for proper data entries of the potential beneficiaries along with land verification to ensure the speedy procurement.
Joint Director Agriculture (Apiculture & Mushroom Development) Jammu, Ravinder Thaploo, Joint Director Agriculture (Farms), Rajinder Sharma, Joint Director Horticulture (P&M) Jammu, Digvijay Gupta, PPO, Devinder Sharma, DGM FCI, Siddhrath, DM FCI, Abhishek Sharma, AGM (Q) FCI, Jammu, Mukesh Verma, CAO Jammu, A.S. Reen, CAO Kathua, Vijay Upadhay, SMS (DL), Samba, Tilak Raj and PDO, Y.S.Sasan attended the meeting.