Border area farmers of Samba District have resolved to start cultivation on fields beyond IB Fence after visiting the Suchetgarh sector where BSF has facilitated their counterparts to resume agricultural activities on the fields across the IB fence.District administration Samba in collaboration with Border Security Force (BSF) today organized a farmers’ tour to Suchetgarh sector and encouraged them to take up agricultural activities beyond fence in Samba sector as well.During the exposure visit the group of 100 farmers along with PRI members from Rajpura, Samba, & Ramgarh had detailed interaction with their counterparts at Suchetgarh and agriculture officers on cultivable crops and practices that can be taken up along the International Border. The farmers group included Block Development Council Chairman Rajpura, Radhey Shyam.Deputy Commissioner Samba, Anuradha Gupta informed that on the direction of J&K LG Manoj Sinha, district administration is encouraging Border farmers of Samba to cultivate their fields in the forward areas. “An exposure visit of Samba farmers was organised to the Suchetgarh border to encourage them to follow the suit.”The DC said that the District administration and BSF authorities will extend full cooperation to farmers by addressing their concerns and also support them in doing routine farming beyond the border fence.Pertinent to mention 500 Hectare of cultivable land beyond border fencing is available for cultivation in district samba along International Border.The District Officers accompanying the farmers informed them that crops like aloe-vera, lemon grass etc can also be sown in the area along with conventional crops. The uncultivated land across the fence can also be sown with the help of BSF and the farmers can be encouraged to take up agricultural activities, said the District Officer. “We stopped cultivation due to the fear of Pakistan firing. Now with the government’s encouragement farmers here are cultivating their land beyond the fence and we can also resume the cultivation under security cover of BSF” said a visiting farmer.Later farmers also attended the retreat ceremony at Suchetgarh Post. Among others Chief Agriculture officer Samba Sanjeev Verma, Chief Horticulture Officer Samba Ashwani Sharma besides officers from BSF were also present.
