The KISAN SAMPARK ABHIYAN has been a resounding success, with 57,000 farmers participating in the orientation programme during the first two rounds, which began on April 24. The second round, held from May 1 to May 3, saw a massive turnout of farmers. The programme has covered a total of 525 panchayats in two rounds conducted until May 3.
An overwhelming response has been received from the farming community in all districts across the UT. The Agriculture Production Department in the UT of J&K is currently engaged in an extensive farmer orientation exercise, the first of its kind. Under the KISAN SAMPARK ABHIYAN, ambitious goals have been set to reach every farmer in every Panchayat of the UT within the next four months. The exercise started on April 24 and will continue until August 31, 2023, planned under the HOLISTIC AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (HADP), a turnaround programme recently approved by the UT Govt in the agriculture sector.
All districts in the UT are holding the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan – Orientation programme at the same time. The first three days of the week are designated for the program’s operation.
The government has released a thorough calendar specific to each district. Officers and officials from the Agriculture, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, Horticulture, Sericulture, and Fisheries Departments who were trained in advance during the 641 training sessions held throughout all districts from January to April are acting as the resource persons for the farmers’ orientations.
A creative method has been implemented to use short films/videos to describe the various initiatives and projects.
The farmers will be shown a total of 49 short films/videos about HADP and other centrally supported programmes at various locations in J&K.
The use of audiovisual aids to explain the schemes engaged and engrossed the farmers. In addition to this, a Q&A session was held following each video screening session to address farmers’ concerns. Pamphlets/brochures detailing all programmes were given to the farmers in Hindi, Urdu, and English. These brochures also included contact information for every department under the UT’s agriculture production department.
A Baseline survey/Skill gap study of the farmers is also being carried out simultaneously during the Kisan Sampark abhiyan. The data of farmers is being captured using IT tools to have a holistic assessment of the state of agriculture and farmers in the UT.
Through the use of KISAN SATHI – the IT Dashboard created for the schemes – farmers were informed about the method of application under these programmes. Farmers can quickly register on the KISAN SATHI Portal and apply for any of the schemes without having to physically visit an office by scanning the QR codes on the pamphlets.
Farmers were also made aware of DAKSH KISAN, a Learning Management System (LMS) designed to help them increase their skills. The Agriculture Production Department has created DAKSH KISAN, a first-of-its-kind learning management system exclusively for the farmers in the country, where farmers can enrol for free in 118 skill-building courses, organised according to the agro-climatic zones of the J&K UT. Farmers can register for free and enrol in any skilling course of their choice at the DAKSH KISAN Portal by scanning the QR code.