Samba, June 15:The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Samba, under the aegis of SKUAST-Jammu, successfully concluded a 15-day outreach campaign as part of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA), launched by the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
Led under the stewardship of Prof. B.N. Tripathi, Vice-Chancellor of SKUAST-Jammu, and the guidance of Dr. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension, the programme was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Sanjay Khajuria (District Nodal Officer, VKSA Samba) and Dr. Rakesh Khajuria (Joint Nodal Officer).
Prof. Khajuria informed the media that three dedicated teams covered 135 villages across nine blocks of Samba district. Over the course of the campaign, more than 20,000 farmers, farm women, and rural youth were directly and indirectly engaged — including those in remote and otherwise inaccessible areas.The awareness programme focused on a broad spectrum of topics– Agro-technologies for Kharif crops, livestock and orchard management in summer and monsoon conditions, safe pesticide usage and organic alternatives, agroforestry plantation planning, promotion of oilseeds, pulses, fodder crops and medicinal plants.
In addition, more than 85,000 informational bulletins, pamphlets and leaflets were distributed to enhance farmers’ technical knowledge, with particular emphasis on Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) schemes.The involvement of local MLAs — Chander Prakash Ganga (Vijaypur) and Dr. D.K. Manyal (Ramgarh) — boosted morale among the farming community. Prof. Sanjay Khajuria stated that the VKSA initiative served as a bridge between scientific advancements and on-ground agricultural practices, providing vital feedback for future research. The final day saw over 1,000 farmers participating in awareness events on climate-resilient farming, sustainable practices, and advanced techniques in horticulture and livestock care.He expressed gratitude to key officers including Dr. Rakesh Khajuria (CAO), Dr. Rahul Dev (CAHO), Anil Gorka (CHO), Joginder Singh (AD Fisheries), Anju Koul (DSO), Dr. Deepak Tikoo (DSHO), and Farhat Naz Choudhary (Deputy Registrar, Cooperatives), along with the ATMA team, for their invaluable support in making VKSA Kharif 2025 a resounding success.
