Srinagar, Feb 25: The Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare department, Kashmir, today organized a one-day training cum sensitization program titled “Honey Bee- the Indispensable Insect- Its Management for Honey Industry.” Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan, inaugurated the training program.

The Advisor highlighted bee keeping as lucrative rural Agro- Horticulture based activity that he said fits well in the integrated agriculture system as an allied vocation to increase the income of all farmers. He said that there is a tremendous scope of beekeeping in the UT of J&K “due to the plethora of flora available here.”

The Advisor stressed upon the officers to motivate youth towards establishment of viable bee keeping units as, he said, the sector has good potential to generate income not only in honey production but also the production of by- products like beeswax, propolis, bee venom and royal jelly. He laid stress on the need to organize more sensitization programs on apiculture as “the sector plays a crucial role in providing large scale opportunities at comparatively lower capital costs assuring more equitable distribution of income and wealth.”

During the program, Director Agriculture, Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, said that the department has prioritized upliftment of the apiculture sector and designed and drafted Detailed Project Reports for promotion of high altitude honey in J&K under the ‘Honey Mission’. He also gave details regarding the colonies, while Joint Director Apiculture and Mushrooms gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the subject and said that the apiculture cultivation is a “way forward to double farmer’s income by 2022.”

Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) said that the department is all set to provide training and awareness to the officers of the department and farmers to acquaint them with latest technological intervention.

Besides, a gathering of apiculture growers, officers of the department and other concerned attended the training program.

Earlier, Advisor inspected the Kitchen Garden at Lalmandi and inspected various proceedings regarding raising of vegetable seedlings under controlled conditions, raising of vegetable seedlings in poly pouches and recently introduced growing of seedlings organically in coco peat trays.

The Advisor directed for conducting individual household surveys of all the inhabitants of district Srinagar associated with the kitchen gardening, so that the “gap between the total demand and supply of vegetable seedling and other inputs could be regulated.”

Director Agriculture informed that the household survey has already been started by the department on “war footing basis”, and that the department, through print and electronic media, shall still coordinate with the inhabitants of district Srinagar to register themselves with Chief Agriculture Officer Srinagar or Seed Production Officer Lalmandi so that the exact quantity of vegetable seedlings is grown under controlled conditions and distributed among the beneficiaries well in time.

Director Agriculture also informed that regarding Kharief preparedness the department is in readiness for distribution of 60 lakh seedlings of different vegetables, out of which, 50 lakh seedlings will be distributed from Kitchen Garden Lalmandi and rest from respective districts.