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Srinagar: A change is taking place in Jammu and Kashmir’s vegetable sector through precision farming intervention which will double the gross output of vegetables from Rs 3982.50 Cr to Rs 8021.25 crore per year, media reports said on Monday.
The intervention which shall be carried out over the next five years by the Agriculture Production Department (APD), shall involve a project cost of Rs 420 crores, reports ANI.
“Commercial vegetable farming has been identified as a key tool in achieving economic prosperity of the farming community through a significant income boost and the Agriculture Production Department has laid a great emphasis on commercial production of local and exotic vegetables,” Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), APD, Atal Dulloo, told the news agency.
He further said that J&K has a unique advantage as compared to the rest of the country in that it can undertake year-round cultivation of vegetables and can grow almost every vegetable crop, including exotic ones which are in high demand and have export potential.
‘Promotion of Vegetables/ Exotic Vegetables under Open and Hi-Tech Protected Cultivation’ is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors in UT of J-K, the news agency reported.
SKUAST-K, Dr Khurshid Hussain, Assistant Professor, told ANI, “domestic production of vegetables offers tremendous scope to make available fresh and nutritionally superior vegetables to the population at lower prices than current inflated prices.” He added that with the proposed new cultivation over a net area of 5,000 hectares, the vegetable industry in J&K under open field conditions would produce about 360 thousand metric tons annually worth Rs 720 crores at the current price.
“Under the project identification of beneficiaries and cluster formation shall be achieved after proper planning followed by Land Development, and identification of specific vegetable crops for specific areas, besides off-season vegetables can be exported to other states taking advantage of natural temperate climatic conditions fetching premium prices for our farmers”, said Dr Hussain.
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