SKAUST-K organizes workshop on Modern Technologies of Vegetable Production

Programme aimed at furthering socioeconomic empowerment of rural women: Prof Nazir

SRINAGAR, JANUARY 1: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir (SKAUST) today organized one-day training programme for rural women on ‘Modern Technologies of Vegetable Production’ under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

The workshop was organised to empower rural women by educating them about the modern technologies being employed in vegetable production to help them strengthen production and boost returns.

During the function, Vice Chancellor, SKAUST, Prof Nazir Ahmad, who was also chief guest on the occasion, said the aim of the workshop is to enhance economic empowerment of rural women through training on modern technologies of vegetable production. He stressed that women farmers should take opportunities to become the entrepreneurs in organic farming, adding that by doing so they can raise their socio-economic status.

The VC also elaborated on “Vermicomposting” technology, liquid manure, bio fertilizers, crop rotation, green manure.

Congratulating the women farmers for constituting Self Help Groups (SHGs), Prof Nazir Ahmad also congratulated the scientists, researchers and officials for conducting the training workshops. He maintained that these training sessions not only help farmers but also help the policy makers to formulate better agricultural policies.

Associate Professor of Vegetable Division, SKAUST-K Dr Baseerat Afrooz informed the Vice-Chancellor and the gathering that under RKVY three districts in Kashmir division have been identified to train women farmers for adopting modern technology in vegetable cultivation. For this, 40 rural women beneficiaries will be identified by the concerned KVKs i.e, KVK, Ganderbal, KVK, Malangpora and KVK, Srinagar, he added.

It was further informed that today’s workshop was the third such training conducted through KVK, Srinagar at SKUAST, (K) and with this the first round of trainings has now been successfully completed under the project, in collaboration with respective KVKs.

In these trainings, the focus has been laid on methods of increasing vegetable production, scientific methods of seed production of Cole and root vegetables, vermin composting technology and reducing post-harvest losses in vegetables through processing, he added.

As part of the workshop, some of the technologies were also demonstrated to the women farmers.

On the occasion, a Crop Calendar was also released by the Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Kashmir to aware the beneficiaries about cultivation of both Kharif and rabi vegetables. Besides, three folders titled “Kashmir mein jad dar sabziyoo ke mayaari beej tayyar karne ke tareeqay”, “Kashmir mein bandhgobhi, kaddam aur saag ke mayyari beej banaane ke tareeqay” and “Vermicomposting - Naamiyati ziraat ka aham juz” in urdu language were also released on the occasion.

A farm kit prepared under this project was also distributed amongst the participants as an incentive for the women farmers.

The second round of trainings, to further enhance their awareness about vegetable production, shall be undertaken shortly.

At the concluding function of the today’s programme Prof F A Zaki, Dean, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-Kashmir and Prof Shakeel Ahmed Wani, Director Education, SKUAST-Kashmir, Dr Kausar Parveen Wani, HoD, Division of Vegetable Science, Dr. Baseerat Afroza, Principal Investigator of the project, Dr. Fahima Mushtaq, CoPI of the Project and Dr Zameer Ahmad, Division of Food Science & Technology, were also present.