Kupwara,May,07: Hachmarg village in the Ramhal area of Kupwara is fast emerging as one of Kashmir’s leading tomato-producing villages, where nearly 99 percent households are associated with tomato cultivation and vegetable farming.

The transformation of the village into a major tomato cultivation hub has been made possible through the continuous efforts and scientific guidance provided by (SKUAST-K) and the Agriculture Department, which have been actively promoting modern and scientific farming practices among local farmers.

Continuing its farmer outreach initiatives, the Division of Vegetable Science, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, in collaboration with (KVK Kupwara), organised an impressive input and seed distribution programme at Hachmarg village under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) project titled “Transforming Tribal Agriculture in Kashmir: A Comprehensive Vegetable Development Initiative.”

During the programme, vegetable seeds and agricultural toolkits were distributed among around 150 farmers to promote scientific vegetable cultivation and strengthen the livelihood of tribal farming communities in the remote Ramhal area.

The scientists and experts present on the occasion encouraged farmers to adopt improved and scientific vegetable production technologies for enhancing productivity, better income generation and sustainable livelihood security.

The programme was attended by Prof. Ishfaq Abidi, Head Division of Vegetable Science; Mohammad Iqbal Choudhary, CEO Seeds SKUAST-K; Prof. G.M. Bhat, Head KVK Kupwara; Dr. Asima Amin, Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator of the TSP Project; Dr. Mohammad Mudasir Magray, Assistant Professor, besides other teaching and non-teaching staff members from SKUAST-K and KVK Kupwara.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Mohammad Iqbal Choudhary and other experts spoke in detail about scientific farming techniques, modern cultivation tools and the importance of adopting advanced vegetable farming practices. The speakers also highlighted the role of SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganie, Director Extension Prof. Raihana Habib Kanth and Prof. Haroon Rashid in implementing various developmental projects under TSP, JKCIP and other farmer welfare schemes in Kupwara district.

Farmers of the village appreciated the continued support and regular field visits by SKUAST-K scientists and officials. They expressed gratitude for the timely distribution of quality seeds, farming tools and technical guidance, especially during difficult and crucial farming periods, and hoped for more developmental projects for the tomato-growing village in future.