Jammu, June 15: Minister for Health, Horticulture and Floriculture,   Sham Lal Sharma has stressed upon the officers to launch a massive awareness campaign to promote Aloe-vera and other medicinal plants in the Temperate, Tropical and Sub-Tropical areas of Jammu region.
He said that there is great demand of Aloe-vera and other herbal products in the market and efforts should be made to motivate more and more farmers to cultivate these crops for raising their economic strata.
Addressing the officers and farmers at a special workshop, organized by the Horticulture Department at Talab Tillo here today to promote Aloe-vera in the Jammu region, the Minister, according to an official statement, stressed the need for close coordination between various departments and prospective farmers to attract maximum members of farming community to cultivate these cash crops.
  Sharma said that the Government has formulated a well-knit programme to boost herbal and horticulture production in the State under Medicinal Plants Mission, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for which the Central Government has sanctioned Rs. 16 Crore. This scheme is aimed at to promote herbal production in the State with the involvement of different departments, which included Forest, Horticulture, Agriculture and Indian System of Medicines departments. The Government would also provide all logistic and marketing facilities to the farmers, the Minister maintained.
Lauding the efforts of the Horticulture Department for expanding its activities in maximum rural areas, the Minister directed the officers to further step up measures to bring uncovered areas under the horticulture production. He asked them to conduct special awareness programmes in the rural areas and educate the farmers to take benefits of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, which provide attractive incentives.
Prof. M. L. Jakhar of Rajasthan Agriculture University, who is an expert in the field also delivered a lecture on the subject and shared his experience with the officers and farmers. He said that Rajasthan, which experience extremely high temperature, has successfully cultivated Aleo-vera crop on a large area. He said that this product requires very less labor and irrigational facilities as compared to other crops and is very useful for the farmers, especially who are living in the dry belt. He also gave tips for increasing the production and its marketing.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
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