Kargil, Mar 9: Despite it being referred as ‘Cold Desert’ Kargil is currently experimenting garlic farming.
 The ‘Forever in Operations’ Division in collaboration with Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) has held training capsules on Advanced Vegetation Production Technologies in the area and persuaded the locals to go for garlic cultivation.
 Kargil, to mention, gets scanty rainfall and heavy snowfall during winter. The summer being short, only one crop of barley/gram, fodder, wheat and pulses is grown.
 The district has acute shortage of vegetables both in summer as well as in winter. Consumption of vegetables (especially green vegetables) by local population is very low which results in malnutrition and poor health.
 During one such capsule, the scientists of DIHAR brought out that garlic cultivation was even possible during winter months provided correct procedures were followed.
 In spite of the assurances and free garlic seeds distribution, the locals had earlier shown their reluctant to cultivate garlic.
 However, the ‘Forever in Operations’ Division began by convincing four to five farmers from nearby villages to make available one kanal of land so that the Army could cultivate garlic in that land, personnel of division said.
 Their effort, according to them, has persuaded the locals to go for garlic cultivation. The cultivation, they said, will be help all the locals during the months of April and May this year.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST