Jammu Tawi, Sep 20: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said that agriculture is the most important and sensitive sector for the economy and vital to survival of humanity.
He was addressing the 25th Foundation Day celebration of SKUAST-Jammu at Baba Jitto Auditorium.
Congratulating the Vice Chancellor, faculty members and students on the occasion, Sinha highlighted the reforms introduced in 2020 to revamp SKUAST-Jammu to meet modern workforce requirements in Agriculture and Allied Sectors, to contribute in entrepreneurship-driven research and to develop strong inter-disciplinary ecosystem.
At SKUAST Jammu, the Lt Governor shared the policy reforms and technological interventions made in the last few years to rejuvenate the Agriculture and allied sectors.
Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) has brought a culture change in farming, agriculture innovation, to acquire and apply knowledge. It has stimulated engagement among change agents to establish a full-fledged agri-business incubation centre for new startups, the Lt Governor said.
He said the knowledge-research capital of SKUAST should be tapped to further strengthen the 29 projects being implemented under HADP, to develop mechanisms to acquire tools to solve tomorrow's problems for ensuring food security, nutrition and sustainable management of natural resources.
The Lt Governor impressed upon the Agriculture scientists and Universities to adopt a whole-farm approach and work on new technology and farm innovation to create a competitive advantage for J&K and the country to build a sustainable future for the world.
G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration has made it clear that climate-resilient crops, accelerated innovations and investment to increase productivity, reducing waste will be the top priority for food security and bringing transformation in the lives of farmers, the Lt Governor said.
Sustainable and Climate-Smart-Agriculture are the way forward. We must motivate farmers to adopt niche, less water-intensive and high-value crops, he said.
The Lt Governor encouraged young scientists to look for new opportunities, new interventions and inventions for sustained growth of ecological capital, maintain harmony between the market and the soil and ensure that the agriculture sector continues to serve as a strong base for our development.
He also highlighted the endeavors of the UT Administration for creating better market linkage to the farmers and promoting diversification, allied activities and high-density farming.
70 percent of J&K's population is dependent on agriculture and allied sectors.
The Lt Governor emphasised on assessing the progress achieved in programmes like Kisan Sampark Abhiyan, identifying the gaps and taking corrective measures in this regard. It should ensure that more farmers are registered on the Daksh portal, he added.
Dr. B N Tripathi, Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu highlighted the remarkable achievements of the University and underlined the importance of the Holistic Agricultural Development Program in transforming agriculture.
Earlier, the Lt Governor inaugurated various facilities at the University including Silver Jubilee Park, Apartment and Faculty Club and unveiled the Rajat Jayanti Smarak to mark its 25th Foundation Day.
He also launched the Green Education Program, International Helpdesk and Academic Management System (AMS) Portal.
On the occasion, the former employees of the SKUAST-Jammu were felicitated for their dedicated service to the University.
Publication on Startups success stories of SKUAST-Jammu, International Helpdesk Brochure and Commemorative Souvenir were also released.
Bharat Bhushan, Chairman District Development Council, Jammu; Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department; Vice Chancellors of various Universities, HoDs, scientists, faculty members, staff and students were present.
