Agriculture Department Kathua dedicates Farmers’ Facilitation Centre at Bani

KATHUA, March 02: In its endeavor to facilitate farmers of far-flung areas of Bani, Lowang, Dhagger and Duggan, the Department of Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare Kathua opened its 4th Farmers’ Facilitation Centre of the District in Bani. The centre was inaugurated by DDC, Bani Rita Thakur in the presence of Chief Agriculture Officer, Sanjeev Rai Gupta and Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer, Basohli Rohit Baloria.

Speaking on the occasion, DDC Bani Rita Thakur appreciated the agriculture department for their handholding effort to uplift the farmers of hilly and isolated areas of Bani sub-division. She expressed hope that the facilitation center will help local farmers sell and market their agricultural produce, including vegetables, honey, locally grown Kasrod (fiddlehead) Pickles, besides providing value addition to the products made/grown by local Women Self Help Groups.

Chief Agriculture Officer Kathua Sanjeev Rai Gupta said Farmer Facilitation Centre will be the one-stop center for delivering services to farmers, facilitating them in selling their agriculture produce with the active support of field functionaries of the agriculture department. He said the Facilitation Centre would also help Women Self Help Groups of the area of service. He also appealed to farmers of the area to sell their produce through Farmer Facilitation Center for better returns.

Among others, AEO Bani Surinder Kumar, JAEO Rajesh Singh and other officers/officials from the Department of Agriculture Kathua and a large number of farmers were also present.

The facilitation centre would provide facilities for selling various agricultural products, fresh vegetables, milled maize/corn flour (Gharatka Atta), millets, pulses, flowers and other value-added indigenous products.

Pertinently, this was the 4th such Farmer Facilitation Centre taken up by the Department of Agriculture Kathua as the earlier farmer facilitation centres were set up in Kathua, Billawar and Basohli towns of the district.