Varmul, May 23: Underlining importance of commercialization in farm sector, Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir today said mushroom cultivation and apiculture had tremendous potential for employment creation in the state.
 Inaugurating an awareness camp at Varmul, the minister stressed the need for bringing in commercialization in agriculture.
 The event, aimed to apprise farmers about the benefits of mushroom cultivation and apiculture, was organized by Agriculture Department.
 Minister of state for Agriculture,   Javid Ahmad Dar, MLA Sangrama   Basharat Ahmad Bukhari, Director Agriculture, Mian Majeed and Deputy Commissioner Varmul were present on the occasion.
 Mir said that government is committed to provide every assistance to the farming community to help them to boost various agriculture and allied sectors by providing latest technical know-how to get maximum yield.
 He said the department has already launched various agriculture schemes to benefit the growers and called upon them to come forward to avail the benefits of these farmer friendly programmes.
 Saying mushroom cultivation and apiculture has greater scope in J&K, the Minister asked the growers to opt these activities in bigger way as it has a great market potential in the state as well as in the country and added that these activities would provide maximum employability to the jobseekers.
 On the occasion, the Minister distributed cheques worth Rs 2.78 lakh among 13 beneficiaries for setting up of mushroom and apiculture units.
 The Ministers were informed that a financial assistance of Rs 36.60 lakhs were provided to the farmers for construction of 24 water harvesting tanks, setting up of 22 vermi compost units and drilling of 3 bore wells during in the district last fiscal. 

Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
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