HADP changing Agri landscape in J&K, generates 1.34 cr workdays

Jammu, Nov 24: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo Monday conducted an activity-wise, outcome-based comprehensive review of all 29 projects being implemented under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) aimed at boosting the Agriculture, Horticulture and Livestock sectors across the districts of Jammu and Kashmir in a structured, time-bound and result-oriented manner.
The high-level review meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD), Shailendra Kumar; Managing Director, J&K Bank; Vice Chancellors of SKUAST Kashmir and Jammu; Managing Director, HADP; Heads of Departments of Agriculture Production and other concerned officers. Deputy Commissioners from all districts participated through video conferencing.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary laid strong emphasis on achieving tangible outcomes by ensuring the establishment of targeted units under each project. He directed the department to track every unit rigorously for productivity, sustainability and success, stating that performance indicators under each project must become the hallmark of effective implementation.
He further instructed the Agriculture Production Department to formulate a roster of senior officers for frequent field visits to districts for on-ground assessment and real-time feedback. Stressing accountability and efficiency, he called for regular evaluation of progress and corrective interventions wherever required.
Taking project-wise appraisal, the Chief Secretary reviewed achievements and progress registered in each activity and sought detailed feedback from the respective Heads of Departments regarding current performance and future roadmaps to meet targets in both public and private sectors. He underlined that all HADP projects hold immense potential for income enhancement and employment generation, citing Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Hi-Tech Vegetable Cultivation, Dairy and Poultry sectors as key growth drivers.
He also directed banking institutions to significantly increase credit disbursement rates and minimize rejection cases, urging Deputy Commissioners to actively monitor credit flow and coordinate with banks to expedite financial support to beneficiaries for seamless implementation of the programme.
The Additional Chief Secretary, APD, Shailendra Kumar highlighted the transformative impact of HADP on the UT’s agricultural landscape, stating that sustained and diversified growth across sectors would provide a significant economic boost to the farming community. He emphasized the need to bridge gaps between credit applications, sanctioned and disbursed cases, including reducing pendency and improving coordination with banking institutions. He assured that all necessary clarifications and operational support would be extended to banks for enhancing their performance.
Managing Director, HADP, Sandeep Kumar presented a detailed overview of the programme’s performance and outcomes, informing that since its inception, HADP has facilitated the establishment of over 91,600 agricultural units across J&K, with more than 75,000 units actively monitored through the Output Tracking App (OTA). The initiative has generated an impressive 1.34 crore person-days of employment, reinforcing agriculture as a key livelihood engine in rural areas.
He further divulged that the programme has demonstrated exceptional return on investment, yielding Rs 2.24 in revenue and 87% profit for every rupee of subsidy disbursed. Cumulatively, the programme has generated a total revenue of Rs 298 crore and profits amounting to Rs 126 crore for unit holders operating across multiple sectors.
Highlighting establishment success, it was informed that around 82% of the units are fully operational and tracked, with the addition of 14,000 new units since the last review held in August 2025.
The meeting also noted the pivotal role of the Daksh Kisan Portal in farmer capacity building. The platform has registered over 3.5 lakh farmers, with 2.6 lakh enrolled in various skill-based courses. So far, 2.1 lakh farmers have been trained, equipping them with modern agricultural techniques to enhance productivity and income.
Major progress was recorded across all 29 constituent projects. In vegetable production, promotion of exotic vegetables led to the establishment of 7,976 units with an additional annual production of 1.95 lakh metric tonnes. In the Dairy and Mutton sectors, milk production has reached 39 lakh metric tonnes while mutton production stands at 380 lakh kilograms, indicating steady progress towards self-sufficiency.
In trout fish farming, production has touched 2,650 metric tonnes with the establishment of 635 raceways. Additionally, distribution of 20,800 modern farm machinery units has significantly reduced manual labour and improved field efficiency.
The promotion of high-value and niche crops resulted in the production of 207.8 MT of quality planting material, including Saffron and Kala Zeera, across both Jammu and Kashmir divisions. The integration of technology through OTA and Kisan Sathi Portal has enabled real-time monitoring, enhanced transparency and strengthened accountability in implementation of this mega agri development programme here.
About the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) it is worth mentioning here that it is a flagship initiative of the J&K Government aimed at revamping the agricultural sector through 29 focused projects covering seed quality enhancement, niche crop cultivation, mechanization, and market linkage development. The programme envisions doubling farmers’ income while ensuring economic sustainability and resilience of the farming community across the Union Territory.