Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday attended the ‘Krishak Mela 2025’ at R.S. Pura campus of SKUAST, Jammu where he felicitated the “progressive farmers”, and also inaugurated four facilities at the campus to strengthen education, research, and farmer training.
According to an official press release, in his address the LG spoke on the “remarkable transformation taking place in the agriculture and allied sector of J&K under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. He reaffirmed his commitment to drive agricultural advancement in Jammu & Kashmir.
“We have taken various innovative steps to transform the agricultural landscape of Jammu & Kashmir including the launch of flagship project Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). For the last three consecutive years, J&K has set a record of productivity in agriculture and allied sector,” he said.
“Earlier, we used to adopt extension models and schemes of other states, but now J&K has emerged as a leader in implementing innovative agricultural initiatives that are being cited as models by other states,” the LG said.
He also shared the key initiatives taken by the government to increase productivity and make the agriculture sector more viable through policy interventions, sustainable practices, advanced technologies, and innovative marketing methods.
“We have successfully secured GI tags for several traditional products, enhancing their market value and ensuring authenticity. Efforts are underway to obtain GI recognition for more local products, boosting the export potential and market visibility of the region,” the LG said.
The LG commended the SKUAST Jammu for successfully running outreach programmes through KVKs and research stations to explore strengths and opportunities in the region.
He directed the university to reinforce its outreach to farmers through direct personal contact, ensuring that research-driven innovations and best practices effectively reach the grassroots level.
The Incubation Centre of SKUAST-Jammu has already incubated more than 100 youths and supported 35 startups obtaining support from the Union Ministry of Agriculture. Efforts should be further strengthened to drive agricultural transformation and economic growth, he added.
The LG visited the stalls put up by the farmers, farmers-producers organizations and various line departments. He also released a publication “Krishi Adharit Udhyamon ke Madhyam Se: Sashakt aur Smriddh Bhavishya ki Kheti” compiled and edited by KVK Jammu, and launched a Mobile App -Radio Kissan SKUAST Jammu 90.8 FM.
The Krishak Mela is aimed to showcase modern agricultural technologies, promote sustainable farming practices and provide a platform for knowledge exchange among farmers, scientists and policymakers.
The facilities inaugurated by the LG include: Fully Automated Poultry Production Unit equipped with advanced infrastructure designed to enhance poultry farming efficiency and sustainability including PG Lab on Poultry Research; Sanskriti PG Girls’ Hostel; Faculty Club and Residential Quarters.
