Jammu Dec 26 PTI Nearly 500 hectares of cultivable land lies unutilised between the border fencing and the International Border IB in Jammu and Kashmirs Samba district officials said on SundayThe administration is encouraging border farmers to cultivate the fields in the forward areas Deputy Commissioner Samba Anuradha Gupta said adding the practice was abandoned amid threats of cross-border shelling by PakistanBut India and Pakistan agreed to a renewed ceasefire in February along the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir encouraging border farmers to cultivate their land beyond the border fencing she saidGupta said the district administration and Border Security Force BSF authorities would extend full cooperation to the farmers address their concerns and also support them in doing routine farming beyond the border fenceThe administration organised a visit to the Suchetgarh border in Jammu on Saturday to encourage Samba farmers to follow their counterparts here she saidBorder area farmers of Samba have resolved to start cultivation on the fields beyond the IB fence after the visit to the Suchetgarh sector where the BSF has facilitated resumption of agricultural activities on fields across the fence the officials saidThe tour was organised by the district administration of Samba in collaboration with the BSFSeventy-three farmers along with panchayat members from Rajpura Samba and Ramgarh had a detailed interaction with their counterparts at Suchetgarh and agriculture officers on cultivable crops and practices that can be taken up along the IB they saidThe officials said the uncultivated land across the fence can be sown with the help of the BSF and the farmers can be encouraged to take up agricultural activitiesWe stopped cultivation due to the fear of Pakistani firing Now with the governments encouragement farmers here Suchetgarh are cultivating their land beyond the fence and we can also resume cultivation under BSF security cover a visiting farmer said PTI TAS IJT