SRINAGAR : The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today visited organic vegetable cluster Bonhaar, Chadoora and inaugurated a farmers awareness cum training program.

Addressing the farmers, the Director highlighted the importance and scope of organic vegetable cultivation in the region. We have been able to send our vegetables not only to other parts of the country but to other countries as well, he said.

Iqbal said that the department has adopted a vibrant marketing model by virtue of which the marketing facilities are offered to the farmers at their doorsteps. He asked the farmers to diversify their operations and adopt an integrated approach so that the agriculture sector could touch new heights.

He said agriculture is the only sector that has huge potential and could contribute to the socio-economic development of the region.

The Director also interacted with the farmers and issued sanction letters for poly house structures among the identified beneficiaries.

He flagged-off a group of identified farmers from block Budgam for a two day farmers workshop being conducted at CITH Rangreth under NAFCC.

Later, the Director inaugurated a village level soil testing laboratory under National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture Scheme (NMSA) at Khag.

Director Agriculture was accompanied by Deputy Director Planning, Chief Agriculture Officer Budgam, Agriculture Information Officer Kashmir, Nodal Officer Climate Change Budgam, Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer Chadoora, Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer Beerwa, Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer Budgam and other senior officers of the department.