Agriculture Department observes World Soil Day
SRINAGAR: To mark the World Soil Day, a workshop/seminar was organized here at Lalmandi on Saturday.
On the occasion a webinar was organised jointly by Institution of Engineers (India) J&K State Centre, Srinagar and Directorate of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kashmir.
Main aim of celebrating World Soil Day is to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate the sustainable management of soil resources for food secure future. The theme of the Day was “Keep soil alive, protect soil bio diversity’’
The theme this year was: “Keep Soil Alive, Protect Soil Biodiversity”. The aim of this day was to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. This day aims to create awareness that preservation of soil biodiversity and sustainable soil management is critical for sustaining life on this Planet.
The webinar was inaugurated by Manzoor Ahmed Qadri, Director Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kashmir who had joined as Director just a few hours ago.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that Agriculture Department has been making all efforts to ensure that benefits of various schemes percolate to the stakeholders particularly the farmers.
He said that he will ensure that proper coordination mechanism with allied departments is put in place, so that fertile top-soil can be protected. He stressed on the need to reduce the usage of Chemical fertilizers.
He suggested that the concept of backyard kitchen garden and vermicomposting needs to be encouraged and incentivized. He called upon the farmers to adopt sustainable techniques including usage of bio-fertilizers, and farm manure and also to adopt crop-rotation techniques to improve the quality of the soil.
He spoke about Integrated Nutrient Management and said that soil testing facility has been made available in all Districts as well as Mobile Labs. He informed that numerous programmes were organised on World Soil Day across Kashmir Division today.
Er. Aamir Ali, Chairman IEI said that our soil is under tremendous strain due to deforestation, urbanization, erosion, loss of soil biodiversity, improper agriculture practices, salinization, nutrient depletion, chemical pollution etc. and necessary measures need to be taken immediately.
Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi Former Director Agriculture said that due to the excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides and other such chemicals the soil is losing its health which can have catastrophic impacts on soil as well as humans.
He said vermicomposting is the best method to replenish the nutrients of the soil. He highlighted that World Soil Day is an occasion when we can focus on the welfare of biodiversity as it’s a gift of nature and use it sustainably.
It was given out on the occasion that the department of agriculture has taken various initiatives for preserving and analysing the soil as the soil is the symbol of fertility and the origin of life and basis of food production. The speakers said that the department is committed to achieve the target of 100 % of soil testing within the stipulated time.
Senior officers of different wings of the department were present and spoke on the subject on the occasion.
KV News
