Srinagar, May 13: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo on Saturday flagged off a consignment of vegetable seedlings of tomato, brinjal, chillies, kale, saag khanyari, red cabbage, green cabbage for Gurez under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP).
Speaking on the occasion, the ACS said that efforts are being made for vertical and horizontal expansion of vegetable cultivation and this consignment was part of that. He said that the department is endeavoring to extend vegetable cultivation to far-flung areas of J&K and sending the first consignment of vegetable seedlings to Gurez is one such step in this direction. To boost vegetable cultivation in far-off areas like Gurez, the department has already taken a number of initiatives, he said.
Dulloo said the government is committed to the development of agriculture and allied sectors in all the regions of J&K. He said that vegetable cultivation has a huge potential to boost the socio-economic landscape of the concerned farmers.
The ACS said that commercial vegetable farming has been identified as a key factor in achieving the economic prosperity of the farming community. “The promotion of vegetable/exotic vegetables under open and hi-tech protected cultivation is one among the 29 projects recently approved by the government. The implementation of projects under HADP, especially in the vegetable sector, is expected to revolutionize the vegetable sector in J&K,” he said.
Director Agriculture, Kashmir, Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal, Director Horticulture, G R Mir and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
