Farmers along the International Indo-Pak Border are ecstatic after seeing improved results from Zero Line cultivation, as the wheat crop planted in fields near the Zero Line after a 20-year gap is ready for harvesting in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.
After two decades, border farmers cultivated their fields at forwarding areas of the Zero Line adjoining the Pakistan border last year and they are all set to harvest the first crop within days.
This was possible following the declaration of a ceasefire on the international border as part of the Modi government's effective foreign policy.
Under the tight security cover of the Border Security Force (BSF), the Jammu and Kashmir Government and Agriculture Production Department and Farmer Welfare Department, led by its Principal Secretary to Government, Naveen Kumar Choudhary, and Chief Agriculture Officer, Kathua, Vijay Upadhaya, decided on the Direction of LG Manoj Sinha to cultivate nearly 145 Acres of barren land on the forwarding Line, and farmers were given full support to cultivate the land with free machinery.
The collective efforts to develop the land after 20 years yielded better results, and the bumper crop of wheat is ready to harvest within days, according to Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer Raman Kumar Gupta. He stated that there was a lot of threat and risk associated owing to Pakistan's heavy firing in this area and that a large portion of land was barren and uncultivated.
Now, 141 acres of land in border villages Chack Chaga, Chandran, and Chandrey Chack have been farmed, owing to the hard work of farmers, the wheat crop is ready, and the farmers are delighted. Farmers were provided subsidized machinery such as tractors, Routawitter, Chappers, Spray pumps, and so on so that they would not have any difficulties cultivating their fields in the future.
The Government has a proposal to give modern machinery to border farmers on subsidized rates to cultivate remaining land on the forwarding Line.
The border farmers are very happy and told that after a long gap of 20 years they have cultivated their land after the declaration of ceasefire on the International Border. If the situation becomes better, they will cultivate the remaining land on Zero Line as the Pakistan farmers are cultivating it up to Zero Line.
