Janta Dal United (JDU) Party President G.M. Shaheen on Saturday met Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ramnath Thakur, and raised pressing concerns related to the agrarian sector in Jammu and Kashmir, urging urgent central intervention to safeguard farm livelihoods.
During the meeting, Shaheen sought enhanced subsidies on agricultural inputs, including fertilizers and chemicals, citing escalating input costs, limited access to quality inputs, and the region’s unique climatic challenges that increase cultivation risks. He emphasized that timely and targeted subsidies are essential to sustain agricultural productivity and protect small and marginal farmers from distress.
Shaheen also strongly advocated for comprehensive crop insurance coverage for farmers across Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting frequent losses caused by erratic weather, hailstorms, frost, and unpredictable rainfall. He called for simplified enrollment, transparent loss assessment, and faster settlement of claims to ensure prompt compensation without bureaucratic hurdles.
Terming agriculture the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s rural economy, Shaheen warned that continued neglect of farm risk mitigation could have serious socio-economic consequences. He urged the Agriculture Ministry to adopt a region-specific policy framework that accounts for the UT’s terrain, seasonality, and higher input costs, and to implement relief measures on a priority basis.
The Union Minister gave a patient hearing to the representations and assured Shaheen that the issues raised would be examined with due seriousness.
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