SRINAGAR, MAY 07 (KNS) : The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today inaugurated the 3rd phase of vegetable seedling distribution drive at Kitchen Garden Premises Lalmandi, here.

Speaking on the occasion, the Director appreciated the efforts of the concerned officers/officials of Kitchen Garden, Hi-tech Poly House Installations and said that the Department is vigorously pursuing the ambitious target of providing 2.5 crore seedlings of different vegetable crops to the farming community of the region this year. 

He said the Department has introduced many initiatives to ensure round the year availability of vegetable seedlings to the farmers. 

Amid prevailing agro economic scenario, the Director marked the importance of diverse vegetable cultivation for the region. He said the strengthening of vegetable cultivation in the region could play a vital role in achieving economic security for the farming community.

“Our climatic conditions are one of the most suitable in the country for the cultivation of vegetables (traditional, exotic) and to channelize this potential a collaborative approach is needed wherein the both farming community and the Department has to come forward and work shoulder to shoulder”,  Iqbal said. 

The Director asked the concerned officers to organize farmers awareness/training programs with the focus on vegetable cultivation so that more and more farmers, uneducated youth could adopt this on commercial lines. 

Joint Director Agriculture Farms, Deputy Director Planning, Seed Production Officer Kashmir, Divisional Seed Certification Officer and other officers were present on the occasion.(KNS)