Japan agency officials review work at seed farm in Palampur
Senior officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) conducted a mid-term review of developmental works undertaken under the Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project at the Vegetable Seed Multiplication Farm at Bhattu near Palampur on Sunday.
The delegation led by the Chief Representative of the JICA India Office and Dr C Palarasu, Secretary (Agriculture), Himachal Government, visited the vegetable seed farm and reviewed various development activities executed by the Block Project Management Unit, Palampur.
The officials inspected works including the repair and construction of water storage tanks, installation of solar-powered pumping systems in tube wells, fencing, vermi-compost units, repair of poly houses and the micro-irrigation system, which was at present irrigating about 4.755 hectares.
As part of the project, a 2.5-bigha model demonstration plot had also been developed at the farm, showcasing the plantation of various vegetables and fruit crops, especially strawberry, using advanced agricultural techniques.
The demonstration plot had been established to create awareness among farmers about modern farming practices. It also featured a micro-irrigation system and mulching sheets installed for soil and water conservation. Around Rs 50 lakh had been spent on these developmental works under the project.
The JICA officials and the Agriculture Secretary appreciated the initiatives undertaken and issued directions to further enhance development activities in the future, with an aim to ensure farmers’ income grows.
Subsequently, the delegation visited a collection centre and a retail outlet at Bhattu and studied the functioning of the turmeric processing unit. The officials said that farmers should make optimal use of these project-established institutions for marketing their produce. This, they added, would help farmers secure fair prices for high-quality products by eliminating middlemen and enabling direct sales, thereby preventing exploitation.
Project Director Sunil Chauhan, Senior Adviser BS Sandhu, Deputy Project Directors Rajesh Kumar, Kartar Singh and DD Shami, District Project Manager Yoginder Pal Kaushal and subject matter specialists from the State Project Management Unit, including Ashish Anand, Rakesh Kumar, Jagdish Janjhia and Rajnish Sharma, were present on the occasion. From the Block Project Management Unit, Palampur, Block Project Manager Amit Bhushan and the field staff, besides Technical Director of the Project Management Advisory Unit Naresh Goyal, Team Leader Suman Sijapati, Co-Team Leader Anil Aggarwal and other specialists were also present during the visit.
