SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting of Agriculture Production Department (APD) to review implementation of Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture & Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP). Besides Principal Secretary APD, the meeting was attended by Mission Director HADP/JKCIP; Director Agriculture, Kashmir/Jammu; Director Horticulture, Kashmir/Jammu and other concerned officers of the department.
The Chief Secretary had a holistic assessment of steps taken by the department for successful implementation of the project. He enquired about the status of different verticals constituting this project along with their desired outcomes and scheme of their implementation over the years of the life of this intensive agricultural development across different sectors and areas of J&K.
Dulloo urged the implementing department to take proactive steps in procuring several critical items envisaged under this project for timely delivery thereby propelling the project further towards its success. He asked for enhancing the capacity of the allied staff along with taking only capable persons whose expertise would be pivotal in making the progress under it.
The Chief Secretary impressed upon the department to formulate a well-thought plan to develop curriculum for the courses, training of trainers and thereafter the training of the farmers for best results. He enjoined upon them to focus on developing the horticulture sector across the districts not currently known for it on the basis of their strengths in this field.
He suggested involving farmers and other private players in making FPOs promoting niche crops with active credit linkage and support by the financial institutions of the UT.
While speaking in the meeting, Principal Secretary, APD, Shailendra Kumar, apprised the chair of the current status of the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) to be set up for implementation of JKCIP. He informed that the bid had been received for the same and it would be in place till September end.
He also elaborated on the journey of this project till date after its envisaging. He threw light on different challenges faced initially and their resolution by the department. He said that the project is run on reimbursement mode and would therefore start showing results immediately once the funds are released to the implementing agency.
He highlighted the role of Agricultural Universities and the field functionaries of the department in creating awareness, implementation, capacity building and training to be carried out as part of this programme.
MD JKCIP, Rahul Yadav, threw light on different steps taken by the department to implement this $217 Million IFAD funded project. He revealed that this project aims at improving competitiveness and climate resilience of farmers through different initiatives like production support, value addition and marketing of high-value niche crops produced across the UT.
As far as its constituting verticals are concerned, it was added that these include agri niche crop production, Horticulture crop promotion under the intervention named climate-smart and market-led production.
Next major intervention of JKCIP is Agri-business Ecosystem development which encompasses enterprise promotion, market promotion, incubation and startups. Other interventions which are part of this project are support to vulnerable communities involved in different sectors of farming and project management.
