Committed to promote cultivation of traditional paddy varieties: Dir Agri

Srinagar, June 14: Agriculture Department Kashmir on Wednesday celebrated (thaejkaad) Paddy Transplanting Planting Day across the valley.
Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Muhammad Iqbal, kick-started the campaign from central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and participated in the paddy transplantation activities in the paddy field at various places in the district.
While interacting with the farmers of different areas of the valley, the Director Agriculture said that paddy is a staple crop of the valley and paddy transplantation has its cultural importance in the valley.
He said the people of Kashmir celebrate Paddy Transplanting Day as they celebrate other religious and cultural festivals. Iqbal marked various initiatives taken by the department for the development of the farming community of the valley.
He said the department is working to ensure high-yielding varieties of agriculture crops including paddy reaches farming community and to preserve and promote the cultivation of traditional varieties like Mushk Budji, zagg, meetha-chawal etc. in the region.
Director Agriculture appreciated the role of the farming community in preserving the traditional varieties of paddy and other agriculture crops are commendable.
He said that besides the latest high-yielding varieties the local paddy varieties (muskbudji, zagg, meetha-chawal etc) are finding new markets.
The director said the department is working to facilitate the concerned farmers so that they could fetch good returns for their produce. Iqbal reiterated the importance of transferring the latest technologies, interventions to the farmers on field.
He impressed upon the officers to ensure that modern techniques and practices in the cultivation of agriculture crops including paddy reaches the farmers.
Iqbal highlighted the importance of feedback from the farming community with respect to the implementation of different Centrally Sponsored Schemes so that the necessary steps to address the issues of farmers could be taken up on time.
The director was accompanied by Joint Director (Inputs) Mohammad Younis Chowdhury and other senior officers of the department. Meanwhile, the Paddy Transplanting Day was celebrated in all the districts of Kashmir Division which were monitored by concerned Chief Agriculture Officers.