Jammu, Nov 19: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo on Saturday impressed upon the officers to focus on seed processing so that the productivity could be increased manifold. He stated this while chairing a review meeting on seed availability of allied sectors of agriculture department.
Dulloo said that an apex committee headed by former Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Dr Mangala Rai seed processing is focused area in his report for holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors in J&K and transformative change in farmers’ income. During the meeting, the respective Heads of the Departments delivered their presentations over the steps to be taken to improve seed production in these sectors.
The meeting held a threadbare discussion over the availability and status of silkworm seed and status of nurseries and farms of Sericulture Department. The meeting was informed about the upgradation of seed units and upgradation of adopted seed rearers in mulberry production in Sericulture sector.
Similarly, in Animal Husbandry sector, the meeting discussed the implementation of Bovine Artificial Insemination Programme in J&K with focus to increase AI coverage to 70 percent, besides infrastructure for sustained liquid nitrogen production, storage and delivery system.
The meeting was informed about the steps being taken to strengthen the semen stations to increase the production of semen to 15 lakh doses per year for which DPR has already been submitted to Government of India.
Likewise, the meeting discussed Sheep Husbandry Department with focus on importing animals and embryos and implementation of sheep/goat breeding programme and availability of breeding arms, bucks and introduction of AI programme in sheep and goat sector. The meeting also discussed in detail the fish production in Trout And Carp.
