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| Zargar for land mapping to increase agriculture production | | | Jammu, February 17
Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mr. Abdul Aziz Zargar has called for preparing maps of cultivable land for proper cultivation of food grains, pulses, vegetables, oil seeds and fodder. This he said would prove beneficial for increasing agriculture produce and making proper use of the cultivable land in the state.
Mr. Zargar was addressing a one-day fertilizer dealers/retailers/cooperatives sales personnel training programme at Jammu today in which nearly 40 fertilizers dealers, retailers and stockists participated. The training programme was organized by the Fertilizers Association of India (Northern region) in collaboration with International Potash Institute Horgen, Switzerland. He said that before bringing the land under plugh proper soil testing and balanced dosing of fertilizers should be kept in view right from sowing. He said that the extension wing of Agriculture Department has a very responsible role in awaring the farmer community in this regard.
Mr. Zargar said that the aim of soil maping is to collect all the data of the cultivable land indicting the nature of soil, its sailinty, presence of macro and micro nutrients, its utility, mode of a irrigation and production.
Underscoring the need for diversification in agriculture sector, Mr. Zargar suggested for multiple cropping and cultivation of cash crops on the available farm land besides promoting poultry and dairy production. This he said would not only help to achieve self sufficiency in food production but would also generate ample job avenues for both farm and non farm community.
Mr. Zargar said that with the application of modern technical know-how, higher yielding variety seeds and balanced use of fertilizer the annual food production has touched 17 lakh tonnes. He said that that fruit production has reached to 11 lakh tonnes out of which 7 lakh tonnes are explored.
Mr. Zargar appreciates the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for providing subsidy on fertilizers and said that this is a farmer friendly step.
Director Agriculture Jammu Mrs. Vinod Bala Sharma while presiding over the inaugural function said that fertilizers have played an important role in making the country self sufficient in food grain production. She said that in view of the changed environment, it is very essential to aware the farmers about the balanced use of fertilizers so that they could enhance their production. She urged the dealers to provide informations about balanced and efficient use of fertilizers to farmers.
Earlier, welcoming the Chief Guest, special invitees, fertilizer dealers and other distinguished guests, Dr. U. S. Teotia, Regional Executive- Northern Region, FAI, New Delhi mentioned that fertilizer dealer is an important link between fertilizer manufacturers and farmers which can play vital role in educating farmers about balanced and efficient use of fertilizers. Therefore, it is essential to educate the dealers about balanced and efficient use of fertilizers. Keeping this in view, FAI has organized this programme for fertilizer dealers.
Saying that decreasing soil fertility he told that during last three decades food grain production has increased four times in the country resulting in mining of 17 nutrients from the soil and against these nutrients only 2 or 3 nutrients are supplied to the soil, therefore, imbalanced use of plant nutrients had led to the multi-nutrient deficiency in soil and these nutrients are main barriers to increase crop productivity. Emphasizing on soil testing, Dr. Teotia mentioned that for increasing crop productivity, balanced and integrated use of plant nutrients should be soil test based.
India-Coordinator, International Potash Institute, Horgen, Switzerland Dr. Patricia Imas, Professor and Head, Department of Soil Science, SKUAST Dr. M. P. Sharma and State Marketing Manger, KRIBHCO, Haryana Mr. R. K. Kaushik also spoke on the occasion.
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