Director Agriculture Kashmir, Choudhary Mohammad Iqbalsays, Jammu & Kashmir Agriculture Aims for Sustainable and Diverse Crop Growth. The basic inputs required to fulfill the needs of the farmer are that if land is required for doing horizontal agriculture, then the inputs like seeds play an important role, says Choudhary Mohammad Iqbal, Director, Agriculture Kashmir. Seeds are prepared according to the climate here. As per seed replacement, its rate among the farmers should also be set. We are aiming for this mission and along with it the other associated inputs like the kind of fertilisers, inorganic, organic and we should make concerted efforts whether it is cereal crops, vegetable crops or pulses crops including exotic vegetables that chemicals are not used for solving any problems. These are the basic goals at which the agriculture family of Jammu & Kashmir is working upon, said the Director, Agriculture Kashmir. We consider ourselves fortunate. When we gained Independence at that time we did not have the capability that we could make available agriculture food crops to the people of India. At that time vegetables and exotic ones were out of the picture. The millets that were grown in some far flung areas were utilised by people to fulfil their requirements. Then we got away from that phase when the leftovers from buyers were only available as ration. Then the country progressed and we are now surplus in food production that the rats destroying our quantity of food crops is perhaps equivalent to the amount of food grains available in our neighbouring countries, the Director Agriculture Kashmir made a remark. We are also fortunate that being an agriculture, agrarian country, the number of farmers associated with agriculture are fulfilling the needs of the country and, at the same time, we have the strength to distribute food grains at the time of need in some areas of the country or during disaster management relief or even sending food outside. If you look at the quantity provided as relief you will have an understanding that some small countries may not be even having that much of food production in their own lands. Our thinking is based on this aspect that in future if we have to flourish, then the future is to strengthen the agriculture and allied sectors. For an increased GDP, the basic ingredients required by industries is provided to a large extent by the agriculture industry alone. Whether we talk about agriculture, horticulture or spices, we are grateful to Allah that he has given different climatic conditions throughout Jammu & Kashmir that we are able to grow a variety of crops. The climatic conditions in Jammu & Kashmir are also seen all over the world. Punjab has only one type of climate. But when we enter Jammu & Kashmir, then from Kathua, Jammu, Samba, Udhampur and Rajouri have one type of climatic conditions. From Rajouri, Poonch, Doda have different climatic conditions. Then Ramban has different. The whole of Kashmir Valley has a different one leaving aside Uri and Tangmarg. What we mean to say is that we have temperate, tropical, sub-tropical and intermediate climatic conditions which give us an opportunity to grow all the crops which are grown all over the world in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, said the Director, Agriculture Kashmir.