Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Department, Javid Ahmad Dar, today presided over a District Kissan Mela (Farmers’ Fair) at Subhash Stadium, Udhampur.

The event was organised by the Department of Agriculture Production & Farmers’ Welfare, Udhampur. The objective of the event was to promote farmer interaction, raise awareness about new tools and technologies in agriculture and allied sectors besides dissemination of information on various government welfare schemes for the farming community.

The mela was attended by DDC Chairman Udhampur Lal Chand; MLA Chenani Balwant Singh Mankotia; MLA Udhampur West Pawan Kumar Gupta; MLA Udhampur East Ranbir Singh Pathania; DDC members Subash Chander, Pinkey Devi and Ashu Sharma; Director Agriculture Jammu Anil Gupta; Director Horticulture Jammu; Directors of Sheep Husbandry and Animal Husbandry Jammu; Additional Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Prem Singh; district officers and a large number of farmers from across the district.

Various government departments including Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Floriculture, Employment and Self Help Groups set up awareness stalls to educate the farmers about the ongoing schemes and initiatives.

The Minister, along with DDC Chairman and MLAs inspected the stalls, interacted with the officials and beneficiaries. He reviewed on-ground implementation of the schemes and sought feedback from the farmers.

Addressing the gathering, Javid Ahmad Dar said that the government is firmly focused on transforming agriculture from a subsistence activity to a sustainable, competitive and commercially viable agri-economy, ensuring higher and stable incomes for farmers, particularly youth and women.

He highlighted the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) as a flagship framework integrating agriculture, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, seeds and allied sectors under a single, farmer-centric vision. He emphasized that HADP focuses on quality seeds and planting material, farm mechanisation and custom hiring, protected cultivation and diversification, post-harvest management, processing, technology-driven and climate-resilient farming practices.

The Minister further noted that under the JKCIP, focused attention is being given to agri-enterprises related to processing, storage, grading, packing and logistics, enabling the farmers to capture a higher share of value from their produce.

MLAs from Chenani, Udhampur East and Udhampur West, along with the DDC Chairman Udhampur, also addressed the gathering. They highlighted the key issues and challenges faced by the farmers in their respective constituencies. They stressed the need for focused interventions to address the local agricultural concerns.