Srinagar, March 20: Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai on Monday said Jammu & Kashmir has the potential to be a model bioeconomy given its vast natural resource base and the focus should be on low-volume high-value business in medicinal and aromatic plants.
“J&K’s agricultural sector is in a transitory phase and the goal is to move from subsistence to sustainable commercial agriculture, from food security to nutritional and economic security with due care to ecosystem health,” Prof Ganai said while addressing the three-day national seminar and stakeholder meeting on ‘Startup Opportunities in Medicinal Plants’ at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar campus here.
The VC said SKUAST-K is a socially responsible institution and working hard for the transformation of agriculture in J&K. “It has reoriented Agri-education in line with NEP 2020 respecting individuality and creativity, focusing on employability, entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said.
The workshop is organised by the Regional cum Facilitation Centre, Northern Region-II, NMPB, SKUAST-K in collaboration with the World Bank-ICAR funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) for the institutional development of SKUAST-K.
Commissioner, Science and Technology Department, Saurabh Bhagat, who was the chief guest at the inaugural session, briefed about the importance of the medicinal plant sector and different schemes which are there for the entrepreneurs and researchers. He said SKUAST-K has to play an important role in making the medicinal and aromatic sector a reality in Kashmir.
Former Director, Dept. of Environment and Remote Sensing, Dr OP Sharma, appreciated the RCFC, NR-II for conducting the timely seminar on medicinal plants and impressed upon the participants to come forward and take it at the commercial level.
Prof Ravindra Kumar Sinha, Chancellor SMVDU, J&K, acknowledged the efforts of RCFC, NR-ll in promoting rare and endangered medicinal plant species and spreading the word regarding the same among the masses.
Regional Director, Prof Sheikh Bilal Ahmed welcomed all the dignitaries and briefed the audience about the need and importance of conducting such kind of seminars for the generation of livelihood. OSD to Vice Chancellor, Prof Azmat Alam Khan presented a vote of thanks.
Two technical sessions were conducted on day one, wherein fruitful deliberations were done on the different aspects of this booming sector. More than 150 participants including scientist staff, scholars, researchers, entrepreneurs and most importantly attended the seminar and benefited from the expert speakers.
The seminar is aimed to create awareness regarding medicinal plant conservation, cultivation, and promotion among educated youth, entrepreneurs and farmers. Ten progressive farmers from UTs of J &K and Ladakh were felicitated on the occasion so that others will follow the suit.
