Director Horticulture Convenes meeting with officers, Discussed Schemes, action plan of MIDH 2021

Director Horticulture Kashmir Mr. Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, KAS today convened a review meeting in the Directorate of Horticulture Rajbagh Srinagar.

The meeting was attended by all the Chief Horticulture officers, District Horticulture officers and Horticulture Development officers of the Kashmir Division.

The review of all the schemes was taken in detail and the action plan of MIDH 2021 came
under discussion. Director Horticulture impressed all Chief Horticulture officers that they should make expenditure under all the schemes in a time bound manner and they should not give any chance to lapse the Government money which is otherwise allocated for strengthening of Horticulture sector.

The Department needs to cater maximum number of farmers for strengthening their requirement of farm mechanization, irrigation infrastructure, post harvest handling and capacity building for doubling the farmers income when Horticulture is the soul potential sector for investment and sustainable livelihood of the farming community and allied stakeholders.

Further during the course of meeting the quality standards of pesticides came under discussion, all the officers were instructed to remain vigilant in the field for the control of spurious and substandard pesticides thus regular sampling has to be drawn for its analysis in the designated laboratories inside and outside UT. If required contrast samples can also be drawn for its analysis in different reputed laboratories as well.

Besides this, the Pesticides Dealers Association later also dropped in the meeting and they were given to understand that the Department of Horticulture will monitor the regulation of
pesticides/fungicides in the market so that no chance will be given to percolate spurious pesticides in the market through regular market inspection by the Department of Horticulture and the dealers/distributors also should ensure marketing of quality products only.

Director Horticulture in the concluding remarks mentioned that the Department will make its efforts for regulation of the insecticide Act in its letter and spirit for the safeguard of fruit orchards in the valley and as such, all the stakeholders shall have to co-operate in this regard.