Mir calls for comprehensive planning to tap potential of Mushroom, Apiculture in Jammu

JAMMU: – Underlining the need for harnessing the huge potential of Mushroom cultivation and Apiculture development in Jammu division, Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Ghulam Hassan Mir Saturday called for comprehensive planning for tapping its potential for strengthening the economy of the farmers.
Minister said this while reviewing the progress of Mushroom cultivation and Apiculture development in the province. He said that these two activities have enormous employability potential in rural belt and said that it should be our thrust area to motivate the people to opt it as a profitable activity.
Expressing his dissatisfaction over the performance of field functionaries, he asked them to involve the educated youth in such activities by providing them technological guidance, incentives, moral support, adding that there should be target that at least one mushroom cultivation and apiculture development unit be setup per village of their respective areas.
The Minister said that the lack of awareness among the farmers is the reason that they couldn’t come forward for opting profitable agri-activities besides having huge market within the state. He stressed on launching a massive awareness campaign at panchayat halqa level of all the agriculture activities to acquaint the farmers about its benefits and employment opportunities.
Asking the officers to venture out of their offices, Mr Mir directed the Director Agriculture, Jammu to ensure frequent field tours of officers from joint director to Assistant Agriculture level to check the farmers friendly progammes are being implemented at grass root level . Interaction of officers with farmers in the field would help us to get feedback about the progress in agriculture besides loopholes in the system which can be checked out, the minister maintained. He asked the director to fix the target to every officer at every level and the officers who donot achieve the target should face action.
Earlier, Director Agriculture, Jammu Mr Ajay Khjouria said that the total number of Mushroom growers in division has reached 752 and the annual production of the Mushroom is 5616 quintals. He hoped the department would achieve the target of 6000quintals this year.
Regarding Apiculture, he said that the total existing Bee colonies in the division is about 35 thousand and its potential is 1.26 lakh. He said that honey worth Rs 4.3 crore has been produced during the last year in the province.