JAMMU, FEBRUARY 27 (KNS) : Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo, chaired a meeting to review availability and procurement of seeds and germplasm for Jammu and Kashmir at the Civil Secretariat today.
The meeting assessed availability of breeder, foundation and certified seeds for both the Kharif and Rabi seasons in 2023-24.
Dulloo exhorted upon the officers to act proactively to ensure adequate and timely availability of requisite seeds like maize, pulses and oilseeds.
He also discussed procurement of seeds from other bodies like private dealers and the Government of India. He emphasized the need for evolving a robust plan for seed distribution and designating the nodal officers in all districts.
Dulloo emphasized the importance of ensuring that only good quality seeds are used and distributed by the department. He was apprised that there's no shortfall of vegetable seeds in the Kashmir division. He asked for laying special attention on ensuring availability of seeds of niche crops like saffron, lavender and mushk budji rice in the Kashmir division.
Dulloo directed the officers to prepare a comprehensive plan for seed distribution among the farmers ensure that all the seeds intended for farmers reach them on time. He emphasized the importance of fulfilling the criteria set under the Mangla Rai Report, which aims to increase agricultural production and productivity.
The meeting was attended by Director Agriculture Jammu, KK Sharma, Joint Director, AS Reen and other officers from the department and SKUAST while Director Agriculture Kashmir, Choudhary Mohammad Iqbal participated online.
In a separate meeting, ACS reviewed the status of micro irrigation and irrigation of Kharif crops for the year 2023 with the officers from departments of Rural Development, Agriculture and Irrigation.
Commissioner Secretary, Rural Development Department, Mandeep Kour participated in this meeting through video conference.
During the meeting, Dulloo directed the officers to strictly follow set schedules and timelines for desilting and canal cleaning procedures. He set deadlines for opening of main and distribution canals in Jammu division.
The meeting also discussed the status of canals in Kashmir and their scheduled opening.
ACS emphasized the importance of ensuring that farmers have access to adequate irrigation facilities, which are essential for crop growth and yield. He also impressed upon the importance of adhering to set schedules and timelines to ensure timely irrigation and canal cleaning. (KNS)