The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal today visited integrated mushroom development centre and Kitchen Garden Lalmandi Srinagar and inspected different blocks of both the installations.
The Director Agriculture was briefed by concerned technical experts about their functioning.
Speaking to the officers/ officials of both the facilities, Director Agriculture highlighted the importance of small scale cottage industries like mushroom cultivation and apiculture. He said that from the last few years farmers and young agriculture entrepreneurs are taking mushroom cultivation on commercial lines.
He said that the department is already working on a multidimensional model under HADP for the promotion of mushroom Cultivation.
During the visit of Kitchen Garden scheme, Director Agriculture said that various interventions by the department in said scheme is aimed at providing farmers with round the year availability of seedlings of different vegetable crops. He asked the concerned officers to add new crop varieties to the existing menu so that more vibrance could be added to the scheme.
Earlier, Director Agriculture held interaction with the trainee agri-entrepreneurs from Kargil district who successfully completed their training programme on Spawn Production at Integrated Mushroom Development Centre Lalmandi Srinagar.
He awarded them with the certificates and assured them that the department would work with them and provide them with all the technical guidance during their future endeavours in mushroom cultivation.
Joint Director Agriculture inputs Tabassum Naz, and the officers of IMDC and Kitchen Garden scheme were also present on the occasion.