Rural livelihood security in J&K set to be a reality under HDAS scheme

INTERNATIONAL DESK: With an outlay of Rs. 5013 crores over the next five years under the newly approved Holistic Development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors (HDAS) scheme, a new phase of farmer prosperity and rural livelihood security across Jammu and Kashmir will become a reality, as per an official release.

It stated that the scheme would transform the agriculture economy of Jammu and Kashmir putting it on a new trajectory of growth, doubling the sectors’ output, boosting exports and making the sectors sustainable and commercially viable.

“The unique thing about 29 projects under the scheme is not only that they have been prepared by some of the country’s finest brains but also that their formulation was undertaken in a consultative mode – ensuring that the opinion of all stakeholders including our farmers is taken on board,” read an official release.

Notably, in July this year, the UT administration constituted an Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors for which leading luminaries like Dr Mangala Rai, Former DG ICAR, as its Chairman and Dr Ashok Dalwai, CEO NRAA apart from other well-known figures in the field of Agriculture, Planning, Statistics and Administration, as per an official release.

An official said that the committee working in a mission mode came up with a comprehensive plan in the form of 29 projects covering all the sectors within the ambit of APD in a record time of 5 months.

These twenty-nine projects will almost double the output of the sectors, boosting exports and making the sectors sustainable and commercially viable, an official said and added that these gains should be equitable, reaching the last person in the pyramid and ecologically sustainable through efficient use of bio-resources for food, feed and industry.

As per the officials, the agricultural output which stands at Rs 37600 crores shall increase by over Rs 28142 crores to reach more than Rs 65700 crores per year, with a resultant increment in sectoral growth rate to 11 per cent. The interventions shall create employment opportunities for over 2.8 lakh youth and establish around 19,000 enterprises.

Apart from this, more than 2.5 lakh persons shall be skilled in various agri-enterprises ranging from seed production, precision farming of vegetables, bee-rearing, cocoon production, mushroom farming, integrated and organic agriculture, high-density fruit farming to processing, dairying, sheep and poultry farming as well as fodder production.

“In the next five years, the UT shall have a motivated workforce with agri-entrepreneurial skills in a commercially viable and ecologically sustainable agri-ecosystem. The projects approved in the agriculture sector are the Development of Seed and Seed Multiplication chain in PPP mode, the Promotion of Niche crops in UT of J&K, the Promotion of Vegetables/exotic vegetables under open and hi-tech protected cultivation, Strengthening Agri-Marketing System in UT of J&K, Promotion of medicinal/aromatic plants on a commercial basis,” it read.

Moreover, the Promotion of Apiculture, Technological interventions to strengthen Sericulture in J&K, Promotion of Nutri cereals (Millets), Farm mechanization and automation, Promotion of mushroom cultivation, Promotion of Oilseeds, Formulation of 300 FPOs, Adoption and promotion of integrated farming system (IFS)/Integrated Livelihood systems (ILS) in UT of J&K, Promotion of commercial floriculture in UT of J&K and Development of rain-fed areas of J&K.

It said that the projects under the agriculture sector also include alternate Agriculture systems for sustainability, Sensor-based smart Agriculture, Minimizing pesticide use in Agriculture, J&K soil and land resource information systems and Innovative approaches in agriculture extension. (ANI)