JAMMU, OCTOBER 08: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Ahmad Khan, today exhorted upon agriculture universities to focus on imparting practical knowledge among students so that they could connect themselves with various aspects of agriculture and develop themselves as ‘Job Providers’ rather than ‘Job Seekers’.
Advisor was speaking as a chief guest at the valedictory function of ‘Innovative Farmers’ conference which was organized during the ongoing 5-day Northern India Regional Agriculture Fair 2021 here at SKUAST Jammu.
“There is a great need to involve UG and PG students in entrepreneurship development programs as their expertise and potential can do wonders in transforming the business world in the field of agriculture”, Advisor maintained.
The advisor said that farmers of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh would be benefitted immensely from this Innovative Farmers Conference wherein Padma Shree awardee farmers and National awardee farmers interacted with them and shared experiences of their success in agriculture and allied enterprises. He appreciated Professor J P Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST- Jammu, for bringing remarkable progress and development in the working culture of the university.
Meanwhile, Advisor also inaugurated a fruit, vegetable, and flowers show and inspected exhibitions and stalls demonstrated by the university, line departments, farmers, and start-ups. He also visited the technology park, Research Farm Chatha, mushroom centre, apiculture centre and interacted with UG and PG students of SKUAST-Jammu.
During his visit to the Fisheries unit, Advisor advised the participants to focus on the promotion of snow trout and Mahseer species of fish in the Jammu region.
Farooq Khan also e-inaugurated the Faculty Club of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry.
On the occasion, an Agreement was also made between Bhopinder Singh an entrepreneur of Rajouri district, and SKUAST-Jammu on the commercialization of Condensed Tannins Enriched Multi-Nutrient Block Technology (MNB-CT).
Padma Shree awardees Bharat Bhushan Tyagi and Hukum Chand Patidar and awarded farmer, Lieutenant Colonel Subhash Chander Deshwal also spoke on the occasion and shared their journey of success.
Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu thanked the Advisor for his valuable suggestions and timely guidance which encourages the university to touch new highs. He also appreciated Director Agriculture, Director Horticulture, and other allied departments for their active participation in Agriculture Fair and Farmers’ Innovative Conference. He lauded all the Padma Shree and National awardee farmers for sharing their valuable experiences with the participating farmers.
Pertinently, the fruit, vegetable, and flower show exhibited 131 samples under fresh fruits comprising apple, pear, citrus, dragon fruit, quince, aonla, guava, kiwi, and 100 samples of dry fruits comprising walnut, pecan nut, almond, chestnut. KVKs from SKUAST- Kashmir namely Anantnag, Kargil-II, Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, and division of Fruit Science, Shalimar besides farmers from all districts of Jammu division participated in the fruit show.
Similarly, flower show had 150 exhibits in 8 categories namely, pot plants greens, cacti, bonsai, cut flowers, flower arrangement, dry flowers. In the vegetable show, 75 samples in 6 categories namely cole crops, root crops, tubers, onion- garlic, dehydrated vegetables from Kargil, Leh, Rajouri, Poonch. Processed products of fruits and vegetables were also exhibited by the department of FST, SKUAST- Jammu, and Kashmir besides the Department of Horticulture, Jammu.
Director Agriculture, K. K. Sharma; Director Horticulture, Ram Sewak; Statutory officers of university, HoDs of various departments; faculty members, students of SKUAST-J besides scores of farmers were present on the occasion.