A grower from Dhanu village in Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir, has successfully transformed his livelihood after shifting from traditional agriculture to protected cultivation through government-supported polyhouse schemes.
After 35 years of conventional farming, Kewal Kumar adopted modern farming practices under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), receiving up to 95% government subsidy for polyhouse infrastructure.
The protected cultivation system helped him reduce risks from extreme weather and pests, enabling consistent production of high-yield hybrid tomatoes and attracting buyers directly to his farm at premium prices.
Officials say Udhampur is emerging as a major vegetable hub, with thousands of hectares under production and multiple high-tech and low-cost polyhouses established to help farmers boost productivity and income.
Source: thenewsmill.com
