EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 15: The Department of Horticulture Jammu organized a one-day workshop on “Capacity Building of Farmers & Extension Workers” at Mega Fruit Plant Nursery (MFPN), Chakroi, under the chairmanship of Director Horticulture, Sh. C.L. Sharma.
During the event, Sh. Deepak Singha, Founder President of the Stone Fruit Association, Himachal Pradesh, was felicitated and briefed on the advanced horticultural activities at MFPN Chakroi. Addressing the gathering, Sh. C.L. Sharma emphasized the importance of adopting modern agricultural techniques and highlighted various government schemes, including the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), aimed at enhancing farmers’ income.
The workshop witnessed participation from farmers, including women and unemployed youth from Jammu, Samba, and Kathua. Expert speaker Deepak Singha stressed the need for high-quality planting material for stone fruit cultivation, while Dr. Rakesh Sharma from SKUAST-J delivered an insightful lecture on horticultural advancements.
Chief Horticulture Officer Jammu, Sh. Rakesh Kotwal, urged farmers to take advantage of various government initiatives such as bore wells, water harvesting, drip irrigation, and vermicompost units. The event concluded with the distribution of fruit plants, including guava, citrus, bael, and aonla, among the participants.
Senior officials, including Sh. Vijay Rana, Sh. Pawan Thakur, and Sh. Ajay Gupta, were also present at the workshop, reinforcing the department’s commitment to farmer welfare and sustainable horticulture. |
