Jammu, February 21 (Scoop News) – Asserting that holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors loom large on the State’s economic spectrum, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Monday emphasized the need of infusing new energy in the sector to make it lucrative and profitable venture for younger generation to venture upon.
“In fact the slogan of Jai Jawan and Jai Kissan has remained lopsided so far and the need of hour is to give new impetus to the comprehensive development of agriculture and agriculturist”, he said and called for putting in place effective measures for making agricultural practices, animal rearing and allied activities more profitable and viable economically.
Addressing a large gathering of farmers after inaugurating a provincial level Kissan Mela at M. A. M. Stadium here, the Chief Minister said, “despite agriculture being mainstay in the economy of the country, befitting endeavours have not been made to provide strong edifice for growth and development of this sector”.
“This is the reason that younger generation is shy of taking agriculture as career and making it means of earning livelihood”, he said adding that this has also hampered the balanced growth in agriculture and allied sectors. He said the concerned departments have to concentrate on this aspect and strive for giving respectability and economic viability to the agro-based activities.
“We have greater potential of producing cash crops like mushroom, morchella (Guchi), kidney beans, zeera, saffron, apples, stone fruits and best varieties of basmati rice”, he said stressing on making these sectors attractive for youth to take as livelihood earning avenues and contribute in the overall development of the State.
Referring to the innovative initiatives taken by the UPA Government led by Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, Omar said that the waiving of agriculture loans was a path breaking step to provide substantial help to the farming community. “There are so many new schemes introduced by the Central Government to give fillip to agriculture production and help welfare of farm community”, he said emphasizing on taking best advantage of these schemes in Jammu and Kashmir to boost up agriculture production and move forward for achieving self-reliance in farm production.
Stating that population explosion has put enormous pressure on land, the Chief Minister said that the land available for agriculture land is shrinking with the growth of industries and population. “Attention is required on increasing per unit productivity to neutralize this pressure, he said and asked for application of modern farm technology and utilization of hybrid and improved seed varieties to achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture production.
The Chief Minister said that animal rearing, poultry farming, piece-culture, ape-culture and allied activities promise greater economic future for the State. He asked the farmers to get fully aware about the modern farm practices and utilize the services of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and other departments available to them in this regard.
Omar said that organization of such Kissan Melas would give boost to the endeavours of the Government popularizing modern farm technology. He advised the farmers to get fully acquainted of new techniques in the field.
Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister for Floriculture, Shyam Lal Sharma, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Aga Ruhallah, Minister of State for Cooperation, Manohar Lal, Minister of State for Rural Development, Ajaz Ahmad, Vice Chairman, Kissan Board, Rachpal Singh and Agriculture Production Commissioner, Iqbal Khandey also spoke at the function.
In their speeches they highlighted the measures Government has taken during the last two years for popularizing new farm techniques and giving boost to the development of agriculture and allied sectors in the State.
Present on the occasion were Vice Chairman, Pahari Advisory Board, M. A. Bukhari, legislators, Mohammad Sharief Niaz and Jahangir Mir besides heads of the departments of various disciplines of agriculture and allied departments.
More than one hundred stalls were installed in the exhibition providing fruit-full information and education about new trends in agriculture and allied sectors for balanced and profitable growth.
The Department of Agriculture demonstrated the Mobile Soil Testing Vehicles on the occasion. It was stated that a scheme has been launched in the State to provide such mobile units to each district in the first phase which will be subsequently expanded further.