STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) of Jammu organised a farmers’ training camp at KVK, R.S Pura here on Tuesday.
Around 250 farmers took the benefit of the camp. Chief Agriculture Officer O.S Chaudhary was the Chief Guest.
Project Director ATMA, Dr. V.S Verma informed that organisation has successfully organised three farmer field schools in different agro-ecological situations. Three farmer field schools included first on rice in Jinder Melu, second on maize crop in Akhnoor and the third on vegetables in Pinjore village of Mishriwala. He further informed the members that demonstration plots of peas and wheat crops have been laid in farmers’ fields in all the community blocks throughout the district and that six hundred farmers are being trained in agriculture and allied sectors throughout the district.
Chief Agriculture Officer, Jammu stressed on growing improved and high yielding varieties of cereal crops, vegetable and pulse crops, and adopting proper protection measures to save crops from diseases and pests. He emphasized on growing mushroom, backyard poultry and improved breeds of milch cattle for pouring more in the food bowl of the State and the country, besides increasing their farm income.
In the technical lecture by resource persons from diverse fields of agriculture and related sectors, the farmers were educated about the latest interventions in the respective fields for profitable farming.
Deputy Director Sericulture Anju Koul divulged that the buyers from outside the State prefer high quality cocoons from this region and spoke on huge profits that could be earned by rearing silk worm cocoons.
SMS from KVK, R.S Pura, Dr. Prem Kumar educated the farmers about the profitability of fish farming, while Assistant Director Fisheries, Kulbhushan Verma apprised the farmers about various schemes of the department for promoting fish farming in the State.
Deputy Project Director ATMA, Dr. B.B Sidha warned the farmers about the probable threat of yellow rust disease in wheat crop and educated them how to manage this disease.
Sham Gorkha and Hans Raj, progressive farmers of different villages of R.S Pura appreciated the ATMA team for providing guidance in all aspects of farming and admitted that they had increased their farm production by adopting latest agro-techniques at their farms.
Programme Coordinator KVK, R.S Pura, District Agriculture Officer (Extension), Jammu, District Agriculture Officer (Inputs), Agriculture Extension Officer, JEOs and other officers from different departments were also present in the training camp.