JAMMU: A meeting of the Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs) of Marh Cluster was organized at Nai Basti (Gajansoo) today under National Vegetable Initiatives for Urban Clusters (NVIUC) a centrally sponsored flagship programme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yozna (RKVY).
Director Agriculture, Jammu Dr S.S Jamwal called upon the participants to vigorously pursue the goal of enhancing production and productivity of vegetables of safe and good quality vegetables, improved nutritional security to consumers and income support to vegetable farmers.
He said that the scheme aims to address all concerns related to both the demand and supply side of the vegetable sector and therefore impressed upon all the extension functionaries, FIGs and the resource institutions M/S ACTECH Information System Ltd nominated by Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC) of Government of India to gear up for making the farmers aware about the various components of the scheme such as production of quality seed and seedlings, protected cultivation techniques, good agricultural practices, integrated nutrient and pest management besides organizing the vegetable farmers into groups/clusters for effective delivery of inputs, technology and facilitating post harvest management and marketing support.
Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) Ashok Malhotra on the occasion stated that the programme is designed to create employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled persons, especially unemployed youth. He informed that the formation of Farmers Producers Company (FPC) on the name of Jammu Oriental Fresh was done by M/S ACTECH Information System Ltd and the process will lay the foundations of an effective mechanism for growth of Agriculture sector through vegetable development.
Vikas Verma, Project Manager, ACTECH Information System Ltd., deliberated in detail regarding formation of FPOs, their functions /operational modalities and role in end to end linkages. He said that his concern was to develop Cluster at various levels so that the issues related to production, technology, refinement validation, dissemination and post harvest management / marketing are addressed in a structured manner.
Sarpanch Nai Basti Panchayat, Om Parkash Verma, Sarpanch Suhagini Panchayat, Sh Kabala Singh, more than 150 vegetable growing farmers, FIG Members and Group Leaders participated in the programme and took part actively in the discussion. The Group Leaders and the Members took part in the interaction with the officers and also presented their suggestions and discussed various problems being faced by the vegetable growers.
Those who attended the programme included Deputy Director Agriculture (Central), C.M Sharma, Chief Agriculture Officer, Jammu Onkar Singh Choudhary, SDAO, Marh K.K Gupta, Quality System Manager (ACTECH), Kumar Vivek and besides other officials of the department and ACTECH .
