STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said that integrated approach is being adopted to tackle agriculture’s extreme vulnerability to ensure increased productivity and enhanced resilience.
“Such an approach will enable and strengthen market access for small and marginal farmers”, the Lieutenant Governor said while chairing a high level meeting of J&K Advisory Board for Development of Kisans and UT’s Agriculture Department officials to discuss the roadmap on holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors at the Convention Center here, adding that with inclusiveness we aim to improve credit flow by banks to the agriculture sector and particularly to small and marginal farmers.
Sinha said the approach of the government is farmer and community-centric, enabling greater farmer participation in policies and ensuring their suggestions in decision-making for benefitting from increased productivity, diversification, access to credit and required technical assistance.
He said Apex Committee on Holistic Agriculture has provided a roadmap to transform subsistence agriculture into sustainable commercial Agri-economy. He complimented the efforts of Dr. Mangala Rai, who headed the UT level apex committee and prepared a vision document on holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors and the farming community.
Dr. Mangala Rai’s detailed report has addressed each and every aspect, issues and concerns related to the farmers and farming, he said.
The Lt Governor said that the report of the Apex Committee in itself is a revolutionary policy document and is historical not only for J&K but also for the country. The recommendations would bring a great agriculture transformation in UT, he added.
He further stressed on promoting integrated and diversified farming. He also directed NABARD and Banking sector to aggressively increase lending in the Agri and allied sectors.
The meeting had meaningful and in-depth discussions wherein the participants shared their assessment of farming sector, examined apex committee’s recommendations and efforts by UT administration for a great agriculture transformation.
Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, briefed the meeting on the key aspects of the aims, strategies and outcomes of the recommendations of the Apex Committee.
Prof. JP Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu and Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST Kashmir also shared their views on the vision document prepared for the holistic development of Agriculture and allied sector in J&K.
Dr Anjum Andrabi gave a detailed powerpoint presentation on the salient features and gist of the projects cleared by Apex Committee and their likely impact.
Administrative Secretaries, Board Members of J&K Advisory Board for Development of Kisans, members of farming community, besides officials of Agriculture and allied departments were present on the occasion.