JAMMU: To encourage fruit plantation in the current rainy season, the Department of Horticulture Kathua organised a series of farmers' awareness cum interaction programs in the Basohli Zone.

The awareness camps were held at Athoon, Dambra West and Sabar Panchyats in Manpur block and at Plahi, Prehta, Plassi and Jhankar Panchayats, attracting a large number of Farmers and Farm women of the area.

District Level Subject Matter Specialist (Pomology) Sandeep Gupta chaired the programmes in presence of the HDO Sanjiv Andotra, Horticulture Technicians Arjun Sharma and Kartik Kumar Sharma.

The Programs were organised on the direction of the Chief Horticulture Officer Ashwani Sharma.

Sandeep Gupta, while interacting with the Farmers and Farm Women, briefed them about the Departmental Schemes and Programs presently under implementation in the District. He said the rainy season is the best time for planting of Fruit trees in the Sub-tropical areas. He urged them to keep close liaison with the field functionaries of the Horticulture Department to avail maximum benefit from the Departmental Schemes.

Horticulture Development Officer Basohli educated the participants about the component wise incentives available under different schemes and asked them to come forward to avail it. The participants put forth different queries regarding Horticulture activities which were addressed on the spot by the Departmental experts.