STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A Farmers’ Awareness and Training Camp aimed at promoting modern horticultural practices and sustainable income generation was held on Saturday here at Raipur Domana. The event drew enthusiastic participation from farmers across adjoining areas.
The programme was graced by MLA, Sham Lal Sharma as Chief Guest alongside Director Horticulture Jammu, Gul Sayeed, Chief Horticulture Officer Jammu, R.K. Kotwal, Horticulture Development Officer Bhalwal, Ravinder Kumar and officials from all departments of the Bhalwal Zone.
Addressing the gathering, MLA, Sham Lal Sharma stressed the significance of Integrated Crop Production. He advocated for crop diversification, balanced nutrient management, efficient water use, integrated pest and disease management and mechanization. He encouraged farmers to combine horticulture with traditional agriculture to achieve higher and more stable incomes while ensuring soil health and sustainability.
The Chief Horticulture Officer emphasized the potential of high-value crops such as dragon fruit and strawberry. He provided technical guidance to farmers on improved varieties, scientific cultivation, nutrient management and plant protection measures. Director Horticulture Gul Sayeed highlighted the importance of Post-Harvest Technology, underscoring grading, packaging, storage, cold chain infrastructure, processing and value addition as key to reducing losses and boosting profitability. He also informed farmers about government schemes supporting post-harvest management.
The camp concluded with an interactive session where farmers received expert advice and learned about departmental schemes and technical support. The event ended with a collective call to adopt integrated crop production, modern horticultural practices and post-harvest technologies for sustainable farming and the overall development of agriculture and horticulture in the region.
