STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A meeting of the District Management Committee of Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), a centrally sponsored scheme under National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology was convened by Chief Agriculture Officer, Jammu to review the working of ATMA, Jammu for the year 2014-15.
District Agriculture Officer (Extension), Programme Coordinator K.V.K (SKUAST-J), R.S Pura, District Sheep Husbandry Officer, Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, Deputy Director Sericulture, Assistant Director Fisheries and Horticulture Development Officer as representative of Chief Horticulture Officer attended the meeting as members of the District Management Committee of ATMA besides Project Director and both the Deputy Project Directors of ATMA, Jammu.
As convener of ATMA, O.S Chaudhary, Chief Agriculture Officer welcomed the members of the District Management Committee and apprised the Board members about various extension activities of ATMA being taken up for transfer of latest agro-technologies to farmers of the district and filling the gaps in research and development at farm level.
Reckoning various strides made during the current year, Dr. V. S Verma Project Director, B. B Sidha Deputy Project Director and Ravinder Kachroo Deputy Project Director of ATMA Jammu, divulged that the organisation has concluded three Farmer Field Schools in different agro-ecological situations of Jammu providing comprehensive technical know-how from sowing to harvesting on rice crop in Jinder Melu in paddy belt of R.S Pura, maize crop in Nardi Bala in coarse grain belt of Akhnoor and vegetable crops in Pinjore village of Mishriwala.
They further informed the members that demonstration plots of peas and wheat crops have been laid in farmers’ fields in all the Community Blocks throughout Jammu district and that six hundred farmers are being trained in agriculture and allied trades such as horticulture, animal husbandry, sheep husbandry, fisheries and sericulture for transfer of latest technology with a view to increase production and productivity and enhancing farm income.
The members of the District Management Committee expressed satisfaction with the working of ATMA and assured to extend wholehearted cooperation in running various programmes. The members exhorted that Block Technology Team comprising block level officers of line departments should be taken into confidence for the successful conduct of various schemes in the field. They were of the opinion that the District Farmers’ Advisory Committee as well as Block Farmers’ Advisory Committee should be reviewed and changes, if necessary, be made for the smooth functioning of various programmes of the scheme. Programme Coordinator K.V.K R.S Pura, Sanjay Kher assured to provide technical support to different programmes of ATMA. The Chief Agriculture Officer thanked the members of the District Management Committee for sparing their precious time and giving valuable suggestions for running various programmes of ATMA.