Srinagar February 13:(KNS)    Ajaz Ahmad Bhat (KAS), Director Horticulture, Kashmir today
inaugurated a Farmers Machinery Mela here today at Lal Mandi Srinagar. The event witnessed the participation of fruit growers where Registered/genuine Dealers/Retailers of Horticulture Machinery/implements was put on sale on subsidized rates for the fruit growers sponsored by Department of Horticulture in District Srinagar.
 Director Horticulture on the occasion distributed farm machinery on subsidized rates to the fruit growers of District Srinagar who were identified as beneficiaries after ascertaining their genuiness and the required feasibility thereof. Machine Mela is one of the interventions under which farmers are
provided multi-Dealers platform in order to effect the purchases of genuine machinery.
 Director Horticulture addressed the participants on the occasion of its inaugural ceremony that Department is bound to strengthen the Farm sector with adequate machinery/implements tools necessary for various cultural operations required in Orchard management. The objective of strengthening farm sector is to ensure that quality fruit production will result in doubling the farmer’s income as per the aspiration of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. The Director made it clear that the Department of Horticulture is working on war footing basis for strengthening the farm sector for establishment and maintenance of orchards in the farmer’s field.
 Director emphasized that the Department of Horticulture has devised a model to work in transparent order for the release of assistance/subsidies in favour of the beneficiaries and besides this the farmers are given an opportunity to purchase farm machinery under various schemes as per the farmer’s choice from the reliable and genuine source without wasting their precious time.
 
 Director also made it clear for information of general public that there is no any dearth of funds with the Department for implementation of various schemes for the welfare and benefit of the fruit growers. Besides, this Department is continuously making efforts with the new technological interventions to support fruit growers with improved farm machinery, commercially viable cultivars of fruit crops etc.(KNS)