6 SEPTEMBER, BUDGAM: Today, Shailendra Kumar, principal secretary of the Agriculture Production Department (APD), visited the organic vegetable cluster Narkara, where he spoke with forward-thinking farmers and surveyed the state of farming in the region.
He also checked in on the development of other holistic agricultural development programme initiatives during his trip.
The Principal Secretary met with the farmers and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to the growth of agriculture and related industries in the area. He encouraged the young, well-educated farmers to pursue alternative agricultural pursuits like mushroom farming and beekeeping as a means of supporting themselves and their families. He also added that under the PKVY programme, a substantial number of organic vegetable clusters will be developed in the J&K Union Territory to promote organic vegetable growing.
At the event, Shailendra Kumar gave out permission letters to those who were eligible to receive them as part of the CAPEX budget 2023-24 so that they could set up mushroom units eligible for a 50% subsidy.
in the same time, the Principal Secretary saw the first completely automated mushroom facility in the world in Mamath. He walked around the mushroom unit, part by section, and talked it over with the owner.
According to Shailendra Kumar, the department of agriculture is promoting year-round mushroom farming as a sustainable and lucrative crop via a multi-crore initiative under the holistic agricultural development plan. He said that mushroom gardening has been more popular over the years as a way for farmers to supplement their income.
The Principal Secretary also met with local vegetable farmers and toured their fields in Bugam later that day.
The Principal Secretary was joined on his trip by the Director of Agriculture in Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, and other high-ranking Agriculture Department official
