UDHAMPUR, SEPTEMBER 21: In a significant initiative aimed at strengthening farmers’ capacity and promoting modern, sustainable agricultural practices, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Minga Sherpa Monday flagged off a group of 30 farmers for an inter-state exposure visit to Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur.
The exposure visit, as per an official statement, is being organised jointly by the offices of the Sub-Divisional Agriculture Office Ramnagar and SDAO Udhampur, under the HADP project Promotion of Commercial Floriculture, funded under the CAPEX Budget 2026–27.
The primary objective of the exposure visit is to acquaint local farmers with modern agricultural techniques, commercial floriculture practices and sustainable farming technologies being demonstrated at the premier agricultural university in Palampur.
The initiative is expected to provide participating farmers with practical knowledge and exposure that can be adapted to local conditions to enhance agricultural productivity and farm incomes.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by Chief Agriculture Officer Vikas Padha; District Agriculture Officer Sudhir Manhas; Agriculture Chemist Sunil Gupta; SDAO Ramnagar Ashwani Abrol and SDAO Udhampur Darshan Sharma, besides other senior officers and officials of the Agriculture Department.
While interacting with the farmers, the Deputy Commissioner encouraged them to make the most of the exposure visit by actively engaging with agricultural experts and gaining practical insights into advanced floriculture and sustainable farming practices. He urged them to adopt suitable modern and eco-friendly techniques in their fields to improve productivity, diversify farm activities and enhance their income.
The participating farmers expressed enthusiasm and keen interest in learning about commercial floriculture, modern farming techniques and sustainable agricultural practices. They also expressed gratitude to the District Administration and the Agriculture Department for facilitating the valuable learning opportunity.
On the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner also inaugurated and released an informative book on Natural Farming, compiled by the Office of SDAO, Ramnagar. Based on the theme Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy Life, the booklet seeks to promote chemical-free, low-cost and sustainable farming practices by encouraging the use of traditional resources and natural inputs.
