Samba, Jun 29 (KNS): AGMO Samba Anuj Verma said, today, that Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba is real model of farmers' empowerment in J&K. The Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba has been made functional, few days back, by the efforts put in by the employees of Horticulture Planning and Marketing Department under the guidance and supervision of Sushma Chowhan Deputy Commissioner Samba, who not only took special initiatives like providing of one Air Conditioner out of district untied grant but also ensured close coordination among Horticulture Planning and Marketing, Horticulture and Agriculture Department employees, working all in close synergy for upliftment of poor farmers.
The AGMO Samba was addressing farmers in one day Awareness Program for farmers at Panchayat Ghar Tapyal organised by the Local Management Committee Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba and NABARD's Krishna Farmers Club Matlooni Chack Tapyal Samba.
Samriti Bhagat District Development Manager NABARD was chief guest on the occasion; whereas Anuj Verma AGMO Samba, Gupta ji from ATMA project Samba, Ankush Sharma Grading/ Marketing Inspector, S. Parminder Singh Jr. Agriculture Extension Officer Gaghwal, officers from RSETI Samba, SBI & other departments, Chopra promotor of the Farmers' Club, members of Local Management Committee Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba Anju Devi, Karan Singh, Surinder Devi, Kuldeep Sharma, Ashok Kumar, Krishan Singh alongwith other farmers and prominent citizens were present on the occasion.
The farmers were exhorted to take benefits of GoI schemes and guide their children to adopt farming as a full time job instead of searching for small time jobs in urban or semi urban areas. The GoI has special focus upon empowering farmers and a number of new initiatives & schemes have been launched, recently.
Anuj Verma AGMO Samba asked farmers to leave their dependence on traditional crops like maize and shift to super value crops like flax seeds, lemon grass, Rosa grass, Peanuts, bell peppers and the latest varieties of high density grafted mangoes, lemon, strawberry and anola.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Verma said that this is prime focus of the government to minimize role of intermediaries & middle men, who eat most of the returns of farmers/ growers. Apart from charging commission, illegally, from farmers, farmers are, sometimes, forced to sell their produce at throw away prices in local Mandis, where only writ of traders run and the farmers have no say in price fixation. Keeping in view problems faced by the farmers/ growers of Samba district, the government has provided free a cost facility to farmers to sell their produce from Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba directly to consumers and traders without paying commission and on reasonable prices.
Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba, located on National Highway 1/2 km ahead of Gaghwal, has one auction platform with shed, one AC cooling chamber and one non AC store to keep left over produce of farmers, safely, during night hours and a Local Management Committee, comprising local farmers is managing day to day affairs of the Apni Mandi. It starts working at 6 a.m. till 11 am in morning and 4 to 7 pm in the evening.
Farmers are selling vegetables, fruits, pickles and other products. This Mandi is being made plastic polythene bags free under guidance of Sushma Chowhan Deputy Commissioner Samba.
Samriti Bhagat District Development Manager NABARD Samba briefed the farmers about various schemes available for farmers through Farmers Clubs and Farmers Producers Organisations. The primary aim is to bring small and marginal farmers on one single platform to tackle all issues related to production and marketing, jointly, as one registered cooperative or company, with each member as its shareholder.
Later, the DDM paid a visit to Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba and inspected all facilities available for farmers in the Mandi. She interacted with farmers who had bought their agricultural produce to Apni Mandi Tapyal Samba for direct sale and appreciated their efforts to come out of clutches of the commission agents and traders. (KNS)