STATE TIMES NEWS
KATHUA: Director Horticulture Jammu Ram Savak, on Sunday conducted a whirlwind tour of District Kathua and launched the plantation drive at multiple locations by planting saplings of citrus, mango & litchi plants in the compact farmer’s field at Kathua, Barnoti and Hiranagar zones of the horticulture department in the presence of Joint Director Horticulture Jammu Sh. C. L Sharma, Chief Horticulture Officer Kathua Sushil Kunam Angurana, Chief Horticulture Jammu Sarbjeet Singh, DLSMS (PP), DLSMS (P), HDO, PRI members and other officials of the department. During the plantation drive, the director interacted with the farmers and encouraged them to take maximum benefits of the farmer friendly schemes of the department and enhance their livelihood. Further, an awareness camp was also organized at village sumwan, kathua wherein all the district officers, besides large number of farmers including women, Sarpanch & PRI members of the area participated. Addressing a large gathering of farmers / fruit growers, the director stressed the need to encourage High Density Plantation in the area and adopt cluster approach to establish new orchards. Joint Director Horticulture Jammu while speaking on the occasion asked the farmers to keep a close liaison with the department of horticulture, adopt integrated farming in their fields and enhance their livelihood. Chief Horticulture Officer Kathua asked farmers to come forward and avail the benefits on components such as creation of irrigation sources, mechanization, custom hiring centres, vermicompost units, protected cultivation, tools & implements, post harvest management etc.
