Guv emphasises need to make state self-reliant in dairy products

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 15

Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chancellor of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-J), Jammu, emphasised the need to rear quality breeds of cattle and goats to make the state self-reliant in dairy and meat products.

He urged Minister for Animal Husbandry Sajjad Lone to get an action plan formulated to increase the production of meat, poultry, fish and dairy products in the state.

The Governor was chairing the 13th Council meeting of SKUAST-J at Raj Bhawan today.

Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Nabi Lone, Minister for Social Welfare, Forests, Ecology and Environment Bali Bhagat, Minister for Science and Technology and Animal Husbandry Sajjad Lone urged the VCs to optimally utilise all existing resources at the disposal of the farm universities for speedy development of agriculture and its allied sectors.

The Governor advised the farm universities of the state to play a significant role in the propagation of high-quality seeds and plant materials. He observed that all available resources and expertise should be optimally utilised for producing quality seeds of various crops and action taken to ensure their timely supply to the farmers.

He advised fixing a time frame for the establishment of crop and objective-specific model villages in the state and stressed the expansion of micro-irrigation facilities to increase the net irrigated area in the state.

While reviewing issues relating to the establishment of the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), the Governor stressed early establishment of KVKs within fixed timelines and effective transfer of technology from labs to farms for the benefit of the farmers.

He advised the Commissioner, Agriculture Production Department, to visit the proposed sites and expedite the land acquisition process to ensure against any further delay in the establishment of KVKs in the state.

The Governor advised the Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-J to set up a mechanism for qualitative assessment of research projects and stressed that the farm universities should give a boost to extension activities and organise a large number of kisan melas and other related activities throughout the year.

He urged the VCs to see that the achievements and success stories of progressive farmers were well publicised and also published in vernacular languages.

The Council also reviewed the progress achieved in the strengthening of the dairy farm, established by the university at RS Pura in Jammu.

It approved the bifurcation of Faculty of Agriculture and restructuring of School of Genomics and Molecular Biology and approved some amendments in the statutes of the university. The Council also approved co-option of Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and Prof (Col) AK Gahlot, Vice Chancellor, Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner, as specialist members of the Council.

Earlier, Dr Pradeep K Sharma, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-J, presented a detailed report on the status of teaching, research and extension activities undertaken by the varsity. He dwelt on the achievements of the university in varied fields and the new varieties of seeds of different crops which had been developed. He also gave details of various ongoing research projects and those in the pipeline. He said besides nine ongoing research projects being executed by the university, three new projects related to weed control, agroforestry, honey bee and pollinators had been assigned to the university.

The Vice Chancellor also presented five new packages of practices recently published by the university for the benefit of the farmers.

Tej Partap, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Kashmir, AR Trag, Vice Chancellor, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, BR Sharma, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, PK Tripathi, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Asgar Hassan Samoon, Commissioner, Agriculture Production, Rafi Ahmad Indrabi, Director, Codes, Finance Department, and BB Gupta, Registrar, SKUAST-J, attended the meeting.