Minister inspects disease-affected maize at Jawali

Advertisement

Nurpur, July 29

Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar presided over a review meeting officials and scientists of the Agriculture Department at Jawali on Monday. He said the department officials need to go to farmers to address their problems.

He directed officials to organise awareness camps to apprise farmers of the preventive measures against the attack of fall army worms and insects on the maize crop. He said to prevent the disease, farmers should spray corrosion medicine. “Farmers can buy this medicine at agricultural sales centres at subsidised rates,” he added.

Chander Kumar said the government was making efforts for changes in the structure of farming. He said to strengthen the irrigation facility in Jawali, a solar irrigation facility was being provided to 127 farmers. “Apart from this, six water storage tanks have been built at the community level for irrigation,” he said.

The minister said 19 irrigation sub-projects worth about Rs 17 crore would be built under the Jaika Block Project Management Unit, out of which a DPR of 17 sub-projects had been prepared. He said the projects would provide irrigation facilities on 750 hectares for 1,650 farmer families in the area.

Chander Kumar said maize has been sown on 52,000 hectares in Kangra district. He said maize plants had suffered because of the attack by falling armyworm insects. The minister, along with officials and scientists, inspected the maize crops affected by the disease in the Kharota area of Jawali. Agricultural University scientists apprised farmers of measures to control insect attacks on the crop.