Pulwama, 16 Mar: Agriculture Production and Farmer’s Welfare Department Kashmir today organized first Organic Fair at Patal Bagh Pulwama.
Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal inaugurated the Fair and on the occasion said that the organic produce are becoming an integral part of regular food consumption, and for enhancing the organic production through out valley, Department is taking various initiatives. He said that district Pulwama has privilege of introducing organic farming in the UT of J&K. Presently Pulwama district is successfully running three cluster villages of Organic farming which include Bangund, Qazigund and Patalbagh.
Director Agriculture reiterated that the focus of the Department is not only to enhance the production and productivity, but also the Department is determined to provide better marketing platforms to the farmers and growers so that they get better remunerative prices of their produce.
Chowdhary Iqbal said to provide better market linkage to the organic and other vegetable growers the Department recently in a significant development has introduced a land mark initiative by signing MoU with JKHPMC to boost direct linkage between the farmers and the markets with a robust platform for better price realization viz a viz income generation.
Director Agriculture on the occasion directed Chief Agriculture Officer Pulwama to establish a Mandi in the vicinity of organic villages for providing better platform for marketing.
Chief Agriculture Officer Pulwama Mohammad Qasim Gani said Pulwama district has started organic farming in the year 2017 and harvested first organic produce in the year 2020 which was sold to the Hotels of Srinagar and adjoining areas on better remunerative prices. He said that our aim is to propagate organic farming in other areas of Pulwama district also for which District Administration and the Department is providing all possible support.
Stalls of various organic vegetable growers, honey, bio-pesticides, organic fertilizers, were showcasing their activities/efficiencies during the event.
Besides Block Development Council Members, Senior Officers of the District and a large gathering of organic vegetable growers were present on the occasion.