Mandi for agricultural produce in Banihal

To boost the sale of horticulture produce and cash crops, a small fruit and vegetable market (mandi), to be named "Apni Mandi", will be set up in Banihal, on the route to Jammu and Srinagar, where the produce of nearby farms would be brought for sale to other parts of Jammu and Kashmir as well as to other states.

According to the sources in the J&K ministry of agriculture, the state government has decided to set up 'Apni Mandi' and the tehsildar of Banihal has been asked to identify a piece of land for the purpose within 10 days.

Ministry sources said to boost the agricultural and horticulture produce of the area, a water storage reservoir of 40,000 cusecs has been constructed.

A vegetable nursery has also been set up under Mini Mission II of the ongoing Rs 100 crore technology mission for the integrated development of horticulture to produce hybrid and green pollinated vegetable seedlings.

Meanwhile, the minister of state for agriculture, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, has told the officers and field agencies of the agriculture and allied departments to spread advanced farming technology among the farmers.

He urged the need to develop the Banihal area as a major vegetable-producing belt, adding that adequate marketing facilities also needed to be explored.

He asked the officers to concentrate on cultivating off-season vegetables, which he said, would help to fetch good revenue to the state.