Jammu Tawi | Sep 23: Keeping in view the rich potential in the field of agriculture and horticulture in J&K, the local government is set to establish two farm institutes in the UT.
The institutes will be set up at RS Pura in Jammu and Khuri Batapora in Kulgam, Kashmir.
Principal Secretary, school education and skill development, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, recently reviewed the progress of establishment of farm Institutes at ITI RS Pura, Jammu and ITI Khuri Batpora, Kulgam.
The review meeting was attended by director skill development, director agriculture Kashmir, director animal husbandry Kashmir, director floriculture Kashmir, and director finance skill development. Also, director animal husbandry Jammu, director floriculture and gardens Jammu, and senior officers of departments concerned participated through video conferencing.
“The principal secretary stressed on introduction of courses on cultivation and marketing of Basmati rice of RS Pura, besides others agriculture section viz dairy, horticulture and floriculture based long- and short-term courses,” a spokesperson of the J&K government said.
Officials said that after consideration of suggestions from multiple departments, government decided to introduce courses in dairy farming, technician smart agriculture, soil testing and crops technician, floriculture-protected cultivation, agriculture extension service, dairy entrepreneurship, basmati rice marketing, mechanic agriculture machineries, beekeeping, gardening, etc.
“It was also decided that the departments concerned will formulate syllabus for the courses,” the spokesman added.
Agriculture and horticulture sectors have vast scope and over 3.5 million people are directly or indirectly dependent on the sectors, which are the biggest source of revenue and employment. These courses will give boost to the sector and attract youth towards these fields.
