Javid Ahmad Dar Leads District Kissan Mela in Udhampur to Boost Agri-Economy and HADP Awareness

UDHAMPUR, DECEMBER 28: Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj, Javid Ahmad Dar, presided over a high-profile District Kissan Mela at Subhash Stadium today, emphasizing the government’s drive to modernize the local agricultural landscape. Organized by the Department of Agriculture Production & Farmers’ Welfare, the event served as a vital platform for direct interaction between policymakers and the farming community.

The fair aimed to introduce growers to cutting-edge tools and climate-resilient technologies while seeking real-time feedback on the efficacy of ongoing welfare initiatives.

The Minister was joined by DDC Chairman Lal Chand and MLAs Balwant Singh Mankotia, Pawan Kumar Gupta, and Ranbir Singh Pathania, who together inspected a wide array of educational stalls set up by departments ranging from Horticulture to Animal Husbandry.

During his keynote address, Javid Ahmad Dar underscored that the administration is committed to transitioning agriculture from a mere subsistence activity into a competitive, commercially viable sector, specifically targeting increased stable incomes for women and youth. A major focus of the discourse was the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), which integrates various allied sectors like livestock and fisheries into a single, farmer-centric framework. The Minister highlighted that the HADP and the Jammu & Kashmir Competitive Improvement Project (JKCIP) are pivotal in providing high-quality seeds, promoting farm mechanization, and enhancing post-harvest logistics.

These initiatives are designed to help farmers capture a higher market value for their produce through improved grading, packing, and storage infrastructure.The event also provided a space for local representatives to voice constituency-specific challenges. The DDC Chairman and the MLAs from Chenani, Udhampur East, and Udhampur West highlighted localized agricultural hurdles, urging for more focused interventions to address regional concerns.

The mela concluded with the Minister reiterating that technology-driven and sustainable practices are the future of the region’s economy. By bringing together directors from various husbandry departments and a large gathering of farmers, the event successfully bridged the information gap, ensuring that the latest scientific advancements in farming reach the grassroots level.