The Agriculture Department of Kashmir has extended the issuance of greenhouses to the farmers on a 50 percent subsidy with an aim to limit the dependence on vegetables from outside Kashmir during the 'slack season.'
A senior agriculture officer said the department is providing greenhouses with a 50 percent subsidy under different welfare schemes, including the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), the National Horticulture Mission, and other schemes of the Remunerative Approach for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation.
The procedure for applying for the greenhouse is that a farmer should have a piece of land and needs to contact the local agriculture officer and apply for the same to get a greenhouse on a 50 percent subsidy.
He said the size of one greenhouse depends on the available land of the farmer, and there is no hard procedure for that. The highest limit for issuing a greenhouse is Rs 2 lakh, and the lowest starts at Rs 20,000. The officer said during the slack season, the valley faces a shortage of vegetables due to snowfall, and the move is aimed to bridge that gap and produce vegetables locally.
"When we will have greenhouses, farmers will be able to sow the crop under protected cultivation or controlled atmosphere. We want to limit the slack season and the dependence on vegetables from outside Kashmir," he said. The official said the department is working on crop diversification which needs to be encouraged. He also said that vegetables are a key element for the stability and economic prosperity of farmers.
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