Farmers in focus

Farmers in focus

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is focusing on the farming community in order to give a boost to the agriculture sector here. In this direction recently Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department said in a review meeting that 2.5 lakh farmers to be trained in agri-skills and 29 skill training programmes identified, a calendar to be released by March of this current year.

In the review meeting he discussed the recommendations of the Dr Mangla Rai Apex Committee Report, which aims to provide skill improvement and entrepreneurship-related training to 2.5 lakh farmers engaged in agriculture and allied sectors in J&K. The training aims at increasing their income and overall economy of Jammu & Kashmir.

During the meeting, a presentation on the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme was given, which outlined the proposed courses for farmers. A total of 29 skill training programs were proposed, including 21 in Agriculture and Horticulture, 3 in Agricultural Engineering, 4 in Forestry, 3 in Sericulture, 6 in Veterinary & Animal Sciences, 2 in Fisheries and 1 in Rural Business Management. It was highlighted that there is a need for skilling and upskilling in the following emerging agriculture sectors: Farm Mechanization and Micro Irrigation, Protected cultivation such as Hydroponics, Greenhouse, Milk and Meat processing, Digital Agriculture, Weather forecasting, Agriculture warehousing and cold chain logistics, Alternate energy such as SOLAR and BIOMASS, and Commodity supply chain management. These sectors are seen as key areas for growth and development in the agriculture industry and training in these areas will help farmers and professionals stay current and competitive in the market.

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