Jammu, Dec 15: Director Sericulture J&K, Ajaz Ahamd Bhat on Friday called for developing the Sericulture department on modern lines to enable the farmers associated with the sector to get better returns.
There is a need for resource utilization and identifying the requirements of the sector in the present context for generating additional sources of income for the rural masses, he said, adding that efforts need to be taken by all the stakeholders.
Bhat was chairing a meeting to review the performance of the Sericulture Development Department in the Jammu Division drying which the concerned functionaries gave brief developmental activities of the department under pre-cocoon and post-cocoon sectors in the division. It was informed that presently sericulture has a lot of potential in Jammu Division with cocoon production ranging between 450 MT to 500 MT.
The Director exhorted the officers to put in concerted efforts to achieve targets and book expenditures by or before March 25, 2024, which shall serve as an indicator of the performance of each officer responsible for the same.
During the deliberations, the Director Sericulture J&K impressed upon all the district sericulture officers to identify land for the establishment of Kissan Khidmat Ghars across all the districts of J&K which will serve as a One Stop Centre for extending farmer-oriented services. The district sericulture officers were further asked to furnish follow-up action concerning the developmental projects being executed by the engineering wings in J&K and make personal efforts to remove all the hurdles hampering the developmental projects presently in progress.
The meeting was attended by Additional Director Sericulture Jammu, Ashwani Kr Sharma; Development Officer, Rajouri, Development Officer Extension & Trainings, all district sericulture officers of Jammu Division, field officers along with Accounts Planning and Technical Sections of the Directorate of Sericulture Jammu
The Director Sericulture instructed the officers that production levels need to be doubled in the next five years through the required interventions for a substantial increase in quality Cocoon/Raw silk Production from the present levels with massive mulberry plantations.
“The department needs to work in synergy with clear-cut strategies and developmental plans with a focus on specific technological interventions at the farmers’ level like the use of Hot Air Drying facility by farmers, organizing cocoon markets within minimum time and covering the unexplored and potential areas through cluster approach,” Bhat said. The Director also distributed the appointment orders under SRO-43 among the next kin of ex-employees of the Kathua and Reasi districts.
