KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Apr 8: The Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal today inaugurated distribution of vegetable seedlings (third cycle) raised on scientific lines under (controlled conditions) hi-tech poly houses here at kitchen gardens Lalmandi Srinagar.
Director Agriculture handed over the vegetable seedlings (Khaniyari Saag, Bottle guard, Tomato Roma, Squash, chilies and cucumber) farmers of Srinagar district and adjacent areas.
Speaking to the farmers Director Agriculture highlighted the role of vegetable cultivation in the overall development of agriculture sector. He assured the farmers of every possible technical support from the department during the cultivation of different vegetable crops.
Director Agriculture said that besides other vegetables department is pursuing a plan for the revival and promotion of Kashmiri lal-mirch(Red Chillies),(characterized by their ability to give a dark red color to food, capable of coloring and adding flavor, while t the same time not allowing the food to become too pungent or spicy) at national and international level. We have fixed a target f bringing 5000 hectares of land under the cultivation of Kashmiri lal-mirch in all the districts of Kashmir division, he added. Chowdhury said to achieve this target department has already taken all the necessary steps to provide seedling to the farmers and for that both public and private sector are playing their role. Director agriculture said the working in the direction from 27th of Jan 2023, department has provided three cycles of vegetable seedlings raised on scientific lines under controlled condition to the farming community of the division.
Chowdhury Iqbal said that department has established hi-tech poly houses in all the districts of Kashmir division with the aim to provide quality vegetable seedlings to the farmers of concerned districts in sufficient quantity and round the year.
Director Agriculture said that vegetable sector has a vast potential of employment generation for the educated youth of the valley. He asked the young educated farmers to come forward take agriculture as a full time enterprise and become job providers not the job seekers. He assured them full cooperation from the department in their endeavor of becoming the agri-enterpreneurs. He said that under the recently approved holistic agriculture development programme special focus has been shifted towards the vegetable sector which would bear the fruits in coming times.
Chowdhury Iqbal said that valley wide seedling distribution will continue in phased manner. He said demand for vegetable seedling is increasing every year as backyard farming and kitchen garden farming is increasing which is an encouraging trend for the overall development of agriculture sector.
The Director was appraised on the occasion that during the third phase about 2-3 lakh seedlings of (Khaniyari Saag, Bottle guard, Tomato Roma, Squash, chillies and cucumber) have been raised under high- tech poly houses at kitchen gardens premises Lalmandi Srinagar.
