The right move for Agriculture

Administration on Wednesday announced three new mega programmes, the major one among these being the Development of
Agriculture and Allied Sectors in Jammu Kashmir in coming years. The prestigious programme comprised of implementing 29
projects is the outcome of a comprehensive plan suggested by an expert committee. The recommended projects almost cover all the
sectors within the ambit of APD. The unique thing about these projects is not only that they have been prepared by some of the finest
brains in the country but also the fact that their formulation was undertaken in a consultative mode – ensuring that the opinion of all
stakeholders including our farmers are taken onboard.
The unique thing about these projects is not just that they were made by some of the finest experts of the field in the country, but also that
they were made in a way that took into account the opinions of all stakeholders, including our farmers.
Having looked over the projects that the committee has approved and their expected outputs and results if implemented
holistically, a new revolution should follow the agriculture and related sectors of Jammu Kashmir. The projects, which will cost Rs.
5013 crores over the next five years, will hopefully change the agriculture economy of J&K, putting it on a new path of growth,
doubling the output of the sectors, increasing exports, and making the sectors sustainable and commercially viable. On real-time
implementation a new era of prosperity for farmers and safety for rural jobs in J&K should start.
These twenty-nine projects will almost double the output of the sectors, it is claimed that it would increase exports and make the
sectors sustainable and commercially viable. These gains must be fair and reach the bottom of the pyramid. They must also be sustainable for
the environment by making good use of bio-resources for food, feed, and industry. According to the features discussed and shared by the
administration, the agricultural output, which is currently worth Rs 37,600 crores, will grow by more than Rs 28,142 crores to reach more than
Rs 65,700 crores per year. As a result, the growth rate of the sector will rise to 11%. More than 2.8 lakh young people will get jobs because of
the interventions, and around 19,000 businesses will be started. More than 2.5 lakh people will be trained in different agri-businesses, such as
seed production, precision farming of vegetables, beekeeping, cocoon production, mushroom farming, integrated and organic agriculture,
high-density fruit farming, processing, dairying, sheep and chicken farming, and fodder production. In the next five years, the UT will have a
motivated workforce with agri-entrepreneurial skills and an agri-ecosystem that is both profitable and good for the environment.