Bilal Habib Director Agriculture visits Patalbagh (Noor Bagh), Pampore, announce it as cluster vegetable village
By Bilal Habib
Sachnews Jammu Kashmir
PAMPORE, May 20: Patalbagh, a small village of Pampore in South Kashmir's Pulwama district is emerging as significant producer for vegetables in Jammu and Kashmir.
This year a pea crop was grown on 350 Kannals of land by some 100 families.
The farmers told Sachnews Jammu Kashmir that they earned a cash of rupees One Crore and twenty lakhs by selling the pea.
Irshad Ahmad, a young pea grower told Sachnews Jammu Kashmir that villagers in Patalbagh are turning to vegetable cultivation after seeing others reaping decent profit.
"We will grow more vegetables and supply to others states if we are supported by agriculture department," he said.
Director Agriculture Kashmir Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi along with Chief Agriculture officer Pulwama, Mohamad Yusuf Shah, on Monday visited the Patalbagh village of Pampore and interacted with the farmers.
Director Agriculture was accompanied by senior officers of the district. All Saffron growers association members led by President Abdul Majeed Wani also present on the occasion.
Talking to Sachnews he said that the village has a vast potential of growing vegetables and an income of Rs One Crore twenty lakh has been earned by the farmers during the current season on the peas crop only.
"We have reached a reasonable yield potential of vegetable production. Now there is need for shifting to exotic and high value vegetable like broccoli, parsley and other varieties to earn more profit," he said.
He emphasized upon giving boost to marketing of vegetables by making different groups and societies and branding the products and labelling and packaging in an attractive way.
He assured the farmers for providing the transportation facility of their fresh vegetables to other states through refrigeration vans , which will be given by the department on the requirement of the growers.
Chief Horticulture officer Pulwama, Mohamad Yusuf Shah told Sachnews that Patalbagh village will be adopted as cluster vegetable village.
"The farmers will be given subsidy on hybrid seeds by half of its original price and other technical guidance and irrigation facilities will be provided to them," he said, adding 25 hectares of land has been identified for vegetable cultivation in the area.
The department will be providing 50 percent subsidy on purchase of high quality hybrid seeds and also will be providing technical guidance, irrigation facility and green houses to the beneficiaries.
The farmers told Sachnews that they earn around twenty thousand on cultivation of pea per kanal after deducing rupees five thousand cost of fertilizers, pesticides and labour.
They appealed others to turn to vegetable cultivation and shy away from practice of growing banned crop like poppy.
Many farmers in the area had grown poppy on 60 Kannals of land which was destroyed by Revenue officials Pampore and Exsise department during a drive.
By Bilal Habib
Sachnews Jammu Kashmir
PAMPORE, May 20: Patalbagh, a small village of Pampore in South Kashmir's Pulwama district is emerging as significant producer for vegetables in Jammu and Kashmir.
This year a pea crop was grown on 350 Kannals of land by some 100 families.
The farmers told Sachnews Jammu Kashmir that they earned a cash of rupees One Crore and twenty lakhs by selling the pea.
Irshad Ahmad, a young pea grower told Sachnews Jammu Kashmir that villagers in Patalbagh are turning to vegetable cultivation after seeing others reaping decent profit.
"We will grow more vegetables and supply to others states if we are supported by agriculture department," he said.
Director Agriculture Kashmir Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi along with Chief Agriculture officer Pulwama, Mohamad Yusuf Shah, on Monday visited the Patalbagh village of Pampore and interacted with the farmers.
Director Agriculture was accompanied by senior officers of the district. All Saffron growers association members led by President Abdul Majeed Wani also present on the occasion.
Talking to Sachnews he said that the village has a vast potential of growing vegetables and an income of Rs One Crore twenty lakh has been earned by the farmers during the current season on the peas crop only.
"We have reached a reasonable yield potential of vegetable production. Now there is need for shifting to exotic and high value vegetable like broccoli, parsley and other varieties to earn more profit," he said.
He emphasized upon giving boost to marketing of vegetables by making different groups and societies and branding the products and labelling and packaging in an attractive way.
He assured the farmers for providing the transportation facility of their fresh vegetables to other states through refrigeration vans , which will be given by the department on the requirement of the growers.
Chief Horticulture officer Pulwama, Mohamad Yusuf Shah told Sachnews that Patalbagh village will be adopted as cluster vegetable village.
"The farmers will be given subsidy on hybrid seeds by half of its original price and other technical guidance and irrigation facilities will be provided to them," he said, adding 25 hectares of land has been identified for vegetable cultivation in the area.
The department will be providing 50 percent subsidy on purchase of high quality hybrid seeds and also will be providing technical guidance, irrigation facility and green houses to the beneficiaries.
The farmers told Sachnews that they earn around twenty thousand on cultivation of pea per kanal after deducing rupees five thousand cost of fertilizers, pesticides and labour.
They appealed others to turn to vegetable cultivation and shy away from practice of growing banned crop like poppy.
Many farmers in the area had grown poppy on 60 Kannals of land which was destroyed by Revenue officials Pampore and Exsise department during a drive.
