Pulwama, Dec 12: Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Dr Basharat Qayoom on Tuesday said the agriculture sector has the potential to sustain jobs in the future. He urged the youth to benefit from the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) which contains 29 schemes for the farming community.
Around 120 boys and girls were felicitated during a valedictory function at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology Kashmir’s ( SKUAST- K) Krishi Vigyan Kendra ( KVK) here in Malangpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district for completing different courses under Skill Training Programme for Rural Youth.
Dr Javid Mughloo, Head KVK Malanpora, said they organise these short-term courses for the development of skills among unemployed youth so that they can use these skills to explore employment avenues in agriculture and agriculture entrepreneurship.
He said the youth have received the skill development in four different areas which include sheep farming, mushroom production, horticulture nursery raising, and fodder production.
“ It is the need of the hour that youth must upgrade their skills to create employment avenues not only for themselves but for others,” Mughloo said, adding that KVK Malanpora always has been focused on giving skill-based education to youth.
He added that for its innovative approach to agriculture education and extension, KVK Malangpora is ranked as one of the 10 best KVKs in the country.
Dr Dil Mohammed Makdhoomi, Director Extension, SKUAST-K, said that the Skill Training Programme for Rural Youth is a flagship programme which is being sponsored by the National Extension Education Institute of India.
He said this programme aims to upskill the agriculture competencies of youth to add to their productivity.
Dr Makdhoomi said the SKUAST- K is doing a commendable job under this programme because of which it is fetching maximum training programmes in the whole country.
“In 2020, we were allocated 140 programmes out of 140, in 2022, 90 out of 150,” he said, adding that after many successful stories this year SKUAST-K were given 60 programmes out of 90.
The Director Extension said 30 training programmes have been conducted in the Kupwara district in different trades of agriculture and allied areas. He assured participating youth that SKUAST-K has many training programmes like Agri-Clinic Agri-Business on offer to upgrade the skills of youth and they should benefit from them.
He revealed that the training programme will reach its destination when a good number of the trainees will turn their new skill into an occupation.
Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Dr Basharat Qayoom, who was the chief guest on the occasion, congratulated KVK Malangpora and participants on the successful completion of the training programme.
He informed the audience that agriculture is one such sector which has the potential to sustain jobs in the future. He was very optimistic that the young boys and girls represented a ray of hope for the transition from traditional agriculture to agriculture entrepreneurship.
The DC urged the youth to benefit from HDAP which contains 29 schemes for the farming community. He also revealed that they will have an MOU with KVK Malangpora.
“We will utilise services of KVK Malangpora for various trainings on agriculture and allied sector,” he said, adding that they will sponsor some of these training programmes.
