Director Agriculture Jammu, Inder Jeet today conducted an extensive tour of border villages of R S Pura, Sub-Division for assessment of crop losses by recent rains and hailstorms.
The Director was accompanied by team of officers including Deputy Director Agriculture (Central), Ravinder Thaploo, CAO Jammu, F A Bhat, SDAO, R S Pura, Roshan Lal, SMS (SDL), Rajan Warikoo, SMS (SDL), Vinod Kundal and AEO R. S. Pura Ashwani Jojra.
Director visited Badyal Brahmana, Korotona Khurd, Bidipur Jattan, Suchetgarh, Flora and other border villages where he had on field assessment of damage to standing as well as harvested Paddy crop. The Basmati Crop has suffered major damages as it is in harvesting stage and grown over an area of more than an area of 22000 hacters in R S Pura Sub Division.
During the visit he interacted with farmers and PRIs at Badayal Brahmana and Suchetgarh areas, who gave a detailed account of extensive damage to Paddy crop due to recent rains, hailstorm, and stagnation of rain water in the fields, lodging of crops and further anticipated losses to Rabi crops due to excessive moisture in soil leading to delayed sowing. They apprised him about the worst economic condition of the farmers due to crop failure caused by bad weather conditions.
Director assured the farmers that he had issued directions to the field functionaries to conduct joint survey along with revenue officials through organizing meetings with the farmers of all villages to get and prepare detailed report of crop damages immediately.
Earlier, Director visited the field of progressive farmers Dharam Paul who has raised an exotic vegetable crop Brocolli at village Badyal Brahmna on an area more than two acres from which he is earning handsome income.
While inspecting the Mini-Rice Shellers issued under Suchetgarh Organic Basmati Rice Cluster (SOBRC) he advised the farmers and growers to adopt diversified farming and go for product branding to increase their farm income. He also visited the Potato Seed Development Farm, Kotli Mian Fateh wherein detailed overview about the functioning of farm was taken.