Kulgam, Sep 03: Principal Secretary to Agriculture Production and PWD, Shailendra Kumar, today visited the Live Exhibition of Temperate Rice Biodiversity at the Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops (MRCFC)- Khudwani, SKUAST-Kashmir.
According to a statement issued here, during the visit, Kumar undertook a detailed tour of the research trials and was briefed about the centre’s ongoing research & seed production programmes. He was apprised of the centre’s remarkable contributions over the past eight decades in rice and other field crops, with a special emphasis on the meticulous germplasm conservation program. The Principal Secretary stressed on the need for demand-driven and development-oriented research to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of food grains in J&K. Kumar also emphasised scaling up oilseed production capacity to meet the ambitious target of area expansion to 3 lakh hectares under oilseed cultivation. He called for the popularization of advanced, proven technologies among farmers through frontline demonstrations. Shri Kumar further assured support for upgrading the centre’s research, development, and educational role through adequate funding.
Shailendra Kumar was accompanied by Vice Chancellor SKUAST-Kashmir, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganie; Deputy Commissioner Kulgam, Athar Aamir; ADC Kulgam; Director Agriculture; Director Research; Director Planning; Chief Agriculture Officers; Scientists from MRCFC-Khudwani; Programme Coordinators of South Kashmir KVKs; and officers from various line departments.
Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganie, Vice Chancellor SKUAST-Kashmir, congratulated the Khudwani centre for serving as a role model and for gaining recognition at prestigious national and international platforms. Addressing the critical issue of rice blast disease, Professor Ganie highlighted that MRCFC, Khudwani serves as Nodal Centre for Rice Blast Screening in India, underscoring its national significance in crop protection research.
