SRINAGAR, JUNE 14: The Agriculture Department Kashmir today celebrated (thaejkaad) Paddy transplanting day across the valley.
The campaign was kick-started by Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal from the central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. He also participated in the paddy transplantation activities in the farmer’s field at various places in the district.
While interacting with the farmers of different areas of the valley, Director Agriculture said that paddy is a staple crop of the valley and paddy transplantation has its cultural importance in the valley of Kashmir. He said people of Kashmir celebrate paddy transplanting day as they celebrate other religious and cultural festivals.
Chowdhary Iqbal marked various initiatives taken by the department for the development of the farming community of the valley. He said the department is working not only to ensure high yielding varieties of agriculture crops including paddy reaches the farming community but to preserve and promote the cultivation of traditional varieties viz. muskbudji, zagg, meetha-chawal etc. also in the region.
Director Agriculture appreciated the role of the farming community in preserving the traditional varieties of paddy and other agriculture crops.
He said that besides the latest high yielding varieties our local paddy varieties like muskbudji, zagg, meetha-chawal etc. are finding new markets. He said the department is working to facilitate the concerned farmers so that they could fetch good returns for their produce.
Director agriculture reiterated the importance of transferring the latest technologies, interventions to the farmers on field. He impressed upon the officers to ensure that modern techniques and practices in the cultivation of agriculture crops including paddy reaches the farmers.
Iqbal highlighted the importance of feedback from the farming community with respect to the implementation of different centrally sponsored schemes so that the necessary steps to address the issues of farmers could be taken up on time.
Director agriculture was accompanied by Joint Director (Inputs) Mohammad Younis Chowdhury and other senior officers of the department.
Meanwhile the Paddy Transplanting Day was celebrated in all the districts of Kashmir Division monitored by concerned Chief Agriculture Officers.
At Shopian, Agriculture Zone Turkawangam celebrated Paddy Transplanting Day (JASHN-E-DHAAN) in Village Heff Shirmal Shopian.
The Campaign was inaugurated by G. M. Dhobi, Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) Kashmir. He said that the department is committed to its policy of farmers’ welfare/ well-being and development of the Agriculture Sector in the UT.
