On Monday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha kicked off the five-day ‘Kisan Mela‘ at SKUAST Jammu. Furthermore, the Lieutenant Governor laid the groundwork for the newly sanctioned faculties of Horticulture and Forestry, Agricultural Engineering, and Dairy Technology.
The Lieutenant Governor praised the University for bringing entrepreneurs, technocrats, policymakers, and farmers from J&K, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand together on a single platform.
According to him, the exchange of ideas and knowledge will spur agricultural innovation and encourage farmers to employ profitable techniques. The Lt Governor outlined the government’s various initiatives aimed at benefiting the farming community.
“We are attempting to increase productivity through the incorporation of traditional wisdom, current science and technology, improved marketing facilities, and the resolution of various other concerns such as power, irrigation, cheaper credit, and rural infrastructure,” stated the Lt Governor.
“A renewed emphasis is being placed on organic farming in order to effect a paradigm shift in agrarian policy, rural prosperity, and improving farmers’ earnings and quality of life,” said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor also emphasised the government’s farmer-centric policies that have been implemented over the last two years to empower J&K farmers by increasing their income and making them Aatma Nirbhar. He noted that the UT of J&K is currently among the top five states/UTs in terms of farm income, with monthly revenue of Rs.18918 per farmer.
“More diversification into high-value crops, value addition through agro-processing, and market links are propelling our agriculture and horticulture sectors to new heights while ensuring inclusive growth.”