Jammu and Kashmir: Farmers who abandon traditional farming and adopt modern techniques are earning big bucks.

Samba, October 18 (IANS). The name of the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir becomes one of those districts where farmers are moving beyond traditional farming and adopting modern technologies. In this context, the name of farmer Rampal Sharma of Taror village is particularly noteworthy, who has established himself as a successful and advanced farmer on the basis of hard work, dedication and modern thinking. For the past 10 years, Rampal Sharma has been following an experimental approach in the field of farming. They have made farming a profitable business by taking advantage of training programmes, government schemes and technical assistance from the Agriculture Department from time to time. Rampal Sharma explains that initially he grew traditional crops like wheat, paddy and maize, but over time he realized that if farmers use crop diversification and modern technology, more profit can be made even in less land. This thought inspired him to flower farming. At present, Rampal Sharma cultivates various types of ornamental flowers in 12 canal countries, which are in demand in the market throughout the year. He says that flower farming definitely requires a lot of care and hard work, but if it is done scientifically, the profit is equally high. He said that in just four months of harvesting, I get a net profit of around Rs 5 lakh. Rampal Sharma told that he benefited from various schemes of Agriculture Department, Floriculture Department, Horticulture Department and National Horticulture Mission. Under these schemes, they received subsidy on drip irrigation system, flower seeds and plants and technical training. He says, “By making proper use of government schemes, farmers can reduce their costs and increase production. I have also taken the benefits of these schemes to take my farming to a new level.” Rampal Sharma became a source of inspiration for the farmers of the entire Jammu division. He says if farmers adopt new thinking and see farming as a business, then they can become independent. Our soil and climate are so favorable that every crop can be successful here. Their goal is to increase employment opportunities at the local level and Samba farmers to move forward on the path of modern farming. The story of farmer Rampal Sharma is proof that if farmers change themselves with time, adopt new technology and take advantage of government schemes, then farming can also become a highly profitable and respectable profession. –IANS MS/PSK