KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Jan 11: Financial empowerment of farming community and to attract more and more young innovative educated minds towards agriculture sector are the top priorities of agriculture department.
This was stated by Director Agriculture Kashmir, Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi at a high level meeting held to review the overall agriculture scenario in Kashmir Division here at Agriculture Complex Lalmandi, Srinagar.
While addressing the meeting, he stressed for entrepreneurship development programmes through Farmer Producer Organisations (F.P.Os) with a collection point, a brand point, a packing point and a selling point wherein 10-20 persons will be earning for themselves. He said one FPO will be equipped with an agri business centre, refrigerated van, tractor and other agriculture equipments which will be a complete package to generate employment for unemployed youths.
Director Agriculture listed a series of measures to be taken by the department for efficient implementation of different projects. Altaf Andrabi directed the officers for close monitoring of schemes and increase the frequency of awareness deliberations to yield positive result in the farming sector which is the backbone of employment generation.
Describing entrepreneurship development in the farming sector as an important component, director agriculture asked the officers to make all possible efforts to attract young and fresh innovative mind towards this sector.
Director asked the officers for preparing immediate road maps to roll out developmental and economic projects for the maximum benefit of farming community. Earlier Amber Badyari president of Green Kashmir Permaculture Trust (Kmr) gave a detailed power point presentation about “how to implement Permaculture in Kashmir Valley.
The meeting was attended by joint Director Agriculture Extension Chowdhary Mohd Iqbal, Joint Director Inputs Deepak Kumar Kuchroo, Project Coordinator Mushrooms Avinash Chander Peer, All Chief Agriculture officers and other divisional Officers of Kashmir Division.