Profile of District Reasi

Reasi district of Jammu division is the abode of Mata Vaishno Devi and is endowed with vast bio diversity and agro climatic diversity. Reasi is one of the oldest towns of the state. It was the seat of the erstwhile Bhimgarh state, said to have been established by Bhim Dev somewhere in 8th century. It remained an independent principality till 1822 when Gulab Singh the then King of Jammu consolidated small states. Uptill 1948 Reasi was a district of Jammu Province, but in the first administrative reorganization of the state undertaken in 1948 major part of the then district Reasi was merged with district Udhampur, while some areas became part of district Poonch (now Rajouri). The sub-division Reasi has been upgraded to the status of a district along with seven other administrative units. The headquarter of district Reasi is situated at town Reasi at a distance of about 72 Kms fro Jammu. The district comprises of two agricultural sub divisions viz Reasi and Arnas. These sub divisions have further been sub divided into two blocks each (total four blocks). There are 255 villages and 14 urban wards in the district. The district lies between 33⁰ 05" N latitude and 74⁰ 50" E longitude. The district shares its boundaries with Udhampur district in south, Ramban in the East, Shopian of Kashmir in North and Rajouri in West. The district is watershed of the River Chenab and its tributaries (Ans, Rudd, Plassu, Banganga, Pai, Anji).

Strengths

• Different agro climatic conditions are suitable for different crop production.
• Soils are fit for intensive cultivation.
• Availability of potential market.
• Receptive farmers willing to adopt improved farm technologies

Weaknesses

• Inefficient Water Management
• Cultivable waste lands still occupy a large area in the district.
• Undulated topography unsuitable for farm mechanization.
• Critical technology gaps in specific areas of crop production viz seed treatment, balance fertilizer and insect pest disease management
• Low adoption level of FYM, green manuring and vermi-composting and crop / farm residue management
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Opportunities

• Increased requirement for various food products like vegetables, mushroom, milk etc and ready market in the shape of huge tourists visiting Mata Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori and Dera Baba etc.
• Immense scope of floriculture in the shape of flowers needed for religious purposes at the above mentioned shrines.
• Bridging yield gaps between average yield and attainable yield

Threats

• The area is drought prone and is highly susceptible to vagaries of nature.
• Soil fertility loss due to erosion and leaching
• Declining factor productivity and rising cost of cultivation.