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| Stresses on reaching out to farmers with technological innovations |
JAMMU, MAY 24 – Advocating for reaching out to the farmers and taking the technological innovations
and research to the filed the Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi
Lone Hanjura today said that it is vital that the farmers are kept
well abreast with the advancements in the agriculture sector to enhance
production.
The Minister was speaking after launching e-plant clinics during a
workshop organized by Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Centre
for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), South Asia in Jammu.
About 15 plant clinics have been established by CABI in district Samba,
Kathua and Jammu during 2016 which are providing guidance to the farmers. Under
Plantwise Programme of CABI, 22 officials have been trained as plant doctors
who will work to diagnose various plant diseases in Jammu region and upload the
data on Plantwise Online Management System (POMS) which can be assessed by
worldwide experts.
Stressing that plant diseases cause great damage to the crops, the
Minister said establishment of these clinics will go a long way in protecting
crops from diseases, thereby, increasing the productivity and income of
farmers. He stressed that more such clinics should be established in all parts
of the state with special focus on the far flung areas of Valley and Ladakh, so
that the farmers can avail the benefit.
He called upon the trained plant doctors to conduct awareness programmes
at village level to educate the farmers about various plant diseases along with
the measures for keeping their crops safe against various diseases.
The Minister further asked CABI experts to collaborate with Agriculture
Department and SKUAST-J for finding solution to the menace of locusts
(migratory grasshoppers) responsible for causing damage to the crops in
Zanaskar valley in Kargil.
Meanwhile, Director, Extension SKUAST-J, Dr. K.S Risam said the
establishment of these clinics will also help in achieving the goal of ‘Doubling
Famers Income by 2022’.
He further said that the contact number of plant doctors should also be
displayed in plant clinics so that the farmers can contact them in the need of
the hour.
Earlier, Director, Agriculture Jammu, Ashok Kumar Malhotra apprised
about the functioning of these clinics and the help they are rendering to the
farmers. He said that the Plantwise programme aims at strengthening plant
health system by establishing and supporting sustainable networks of plant
clinics for providing plant health advice to the progressive farmers
Director, Law Enforcement, J&K Sushil Sahni, Scientist &
Plantwise Coordinator, CABI South Asia, Dr. Vinod Pandit, Associate Professor,
SKUAST-J, Dr. R K Gupta, Agriculture Extension Officer, Pradeep Sharma and
other senior officers of the department were present in the workshop.
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