Kisan Sabha – Page 25 – हर कदम हर डगर, आपका हमसफर

CropLife India Salutes the Spirit of Women Farmers

CropLife India celebrated Women’s Day by organizing an event “Celebration of Womanhood”.The objective of the celebrations was to recognize the invaluable contribution of women farmers in agriculture and economic development. Training on safe and responsible usage of agrochemicals and identification of counterfeits were imparted; which are imminent for safe crop protection. The program was organized with the help of EFFORT, implementing NGO partner of CropLife India at Abohar, District Fazilka, Punjab.

Around 400 women farmers participated from the nearby villages of Fazilka. Dr. Mandeep Kaur, Additional Deputy (General), Fazilka presided over the function. Dr. Rekha Sood Handa, Principal, Gopi Chand Arya Mahila College, Abohar; Ms. Maya Devi, Agriculture Inspector; Mr. Des Raj Kamboj (Panel Advocate) District Legal Services Authority, Fazilka; Mr. Naresh Kamboj, (Para- Legal Volunteer) District Legal Services Authority, Fazilka; Ms. Gauri Sacheva, Head – Sakhi Kendra Central, Fazilka (Social Security Women & Child Development) along with Ms. Rupinder Kour, Subject Matter Specialist KVK ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology (CIPHET), Ms. Navdeep Kour, Child Development Project Officer Abohar and Ms. Gagandeep Kour, BDPO Khuian Sarwar, District Fazilka, Scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendra were present during the occasion.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Mandeep Kaur, Additional Deputy (General), Fazilka said, “As the theme of International Women’s Day ‘23 is ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’; we salute the spirit of womanhood as women are the real architects of society. Women have been contributing to a multitude of activities of farming, which necessitates the knowledge transfer of crop protection technology. Moreover, as iterated in an African proverb – if you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.”

“CropLife India is calling on fellow food and agriculture stakeholders across India to #EmbraceEquity and work towards women empowerment to achieve sustainable and equitable food systems and rural development.”

The program was conducted with various activities like mushroom processing, kitchen garden activities, food processing, waste management, integrated pest management & cultural performances by women to motivate, educate and make them aware of their own potential and abilities.

Best Agrolife onboards Lalit Kumar Sharma as R&D Head

Best Agrolife Ltd. today announced that it has appointed Mr. Lalit Kumar Sharma as the Head – Quality Control and R&D of its subsidiary, Seedlings India Pvt. Ltd. Besides propelling the pipeline growth and development programs, Mr. Sharma will be in charge of the company’s R&D strategy.

A science graduate from Ravishankar University, Chhattisgarh, Mr. Sharma comes with a rich experience of 32 years in the agrochemical Industry. He was previously associated with reputed agrochemical companies like Crystal Crop Protection, Dhanuka, Montary, and HPM. Mr. Sharma has worked closely with these organisations’ quality assurance and production teams and was responsible for testing and commissioning new formulations.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Lalit Sharma to Seedlings as we embark on our next phase of growth,” said Mr. Vimal Alawadhi, MD, BAL. “Mr Sharma brings a strong track record of leadership to the company. He is adept in developing new pesticide formulations like Suspension Concentrate, Capsule Suspension, Suspoemulsion, Tablet Formulation, and combination formulation. We look forward to benefiting from his extensive expertise!”

Mr. Sharma stated, “I am excited about joining Seedlings India Pvt Ltd and leading its talented and unique R&D team. I found the company’s novel molecular approach and focus on innovation and cutting-edge technology most attractive. I am eager to use my industry experience to help build a pipeline of programs to innovate highly effective crop solutions to help the agricultural community worldwide.”

Syngenta Global CEO J Erik Fyrwald on a three-day visit to India

Global CEO of Syngenta J Erik Fyrwald on Thursday said Syngenta is all geared up to celebrate India’s march to Amrit Kaal and its emergence as the world’s 5th largest economy. Fyrwald termed India’s rapid march on the path of progress as inspirational and transformational and said that this has strengthened Syngenta’s resolve to continue to invest itself in the future of the country’s agriculture.

On a 3-day visit to India, Fyrwald was speaking after dedicating one of the country’s biggest rural wayside markets in Wanaparthy district, Telangana, build under Syngenta’s flagship CSR I-CLEAN (Inculcating Cleanliness, Learning, Education, Awareness and New Habits) program.

Spread over 51,020 square feet, this state-of-art market is built at Rs 3.3 cr in Wanaparthy and will be handed over to the Agriculture Marketing Board for operation and maintenance. This market will cater to over 20,000 farmers by providing them with a safe place to do their business and consumers of over 30 villages and urban areas around this district headquarter.

“Present in the country for 94 years now, India has always been at the core of our focus for its sheer size, diversity, and potential – 40% of the workforce in the country is employed in agriculture. We have consistently worked on addressing challenges facing Indian agriculture. Accordingly, our R&D has been geared toward providing technology to the farming community for enhancing productivity and also reducing input costs for better returns on investment. We invest and innovate to transform the way crops are grown and protected to bring about positive, lasting change in agriculture. Our ambition is to be the most collaborative and trusted team in agriculture, providing leading seeds and crop protection innovations and digital solutions to enhance the prosperity of farmers, wherever they are,” Fyrwald added.

One of the unique features of this marketplace is that it provides exclusive facilities for women farmers including a daycare facility with a baby feeding room. This will ensure that women farmers can focus on their business without being concerned about leaving their children at home.

Susheel Kumar, MD & Country Head, Syngenta India said, “The I-CLEAN project has been a remarkable success. We are glad to be able to contribute to the rural prosperity of Telangana, which has one of the highest rates of agriculture growth at 7.8%. With a slew of impressive programs including Rythu Bandhu Scheme, Mission Bhagiratha, and Drone Certification, the state has made rapid strides and it gives us the joy to become partners in this journey.”

Syngenta’s I-CLEAN program has brought about significant transformation. According to a social-economic impact assessment, the income of farmers who sell their produce at I-CLEAN markets has gone up by 49% as they can spend more time in markets; the improved infrastructure sees increased daily footfall. The facilities like safe drinking water, solar lights, and toilets have improved the livelihood opportunities of local farming communities by about 40%.

Dr. KC Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India, said, “This state-of-art wayside market is equipped with modern amenities including approach roads from the highway, 78 raised platforms, sheds, lights, parking facility, safe drinking water, toilet blocks for men and women, water harvesting, lush green frontage, waste disposal, and children playing area. Market stalls, sheds canteen, a baby feeding room and a crèche facility make this project unique and will be a safe place, especially for women farmers. The facility is expected to impact around 20% of women farmers in the area.”

Fyrwald added, “We play a vital role in the food chain to safely feed the world and take care of our planet. We help farmers manage a complex set of challenges from nature and society. Our approach is to ensure that everybody wins: that farmers are prosperous, agriculture becomes more sustainable, and consumers have safe, healthy, and nutritious food. The wayside market is a step in that direction, and I am glad that with this we hit a quarter century – this being the 25th I-CLEAN market.”

Apart from Telangana, 24 such I-CLEAN projects are running in Bihar (18), Uttar Pradesh (02), and Karnataka (04) catering to the needs of rural farmers.

PM Kisan 13th installment released; how to check status online

Synopsis

The eligible farmers under PM-Kisan Scheme will receive a payment of Rs 2000 into their registered bank accounts. Here’s how to check online whether PM Kisan’s 13th installment has been credited.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 13th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) initiative, worth over Rs 16,000 crore on February 27, 2023, during his Karnataka visit.

Under the PM-Kisan scheme, the eligible farmers will receive an installment of Rs 2000 into their registered bank accounts. According to the PM-Kisan website, “eKYC is mandatory for PM-KISAN Registered Farmers. OTP Based eKYC is available on PMKISAN Portal or the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) may be contacted for Biometric based eKYC.”

“PM @narendramodi releases the 13th instalment amount of about Rs. 16,000 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (#PMKISAN). Under the scheme, eligible farmer families are provided a benefit of Rs. 6000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs. 2000 each,” PIB tweeted on Februaury 27, 2023.

How to check if PM Kisan’s 13th installment is credited online

Step 1: Visit the official PM KISAN portal – https://pmkisan.gov.in/
Step 2: Under ‘Farmers corner’ and click on ‘Beneficiary Status’
Step 3: Enter your Aadhaar number, account number or mobile number, and captcha code
Step 4: Click on the ‘Get Status’ tab

Details of the status will be displayed depending on the beneficiary’s details. Further, to receive the amount, your name should be on the beneficiary list.

How to check your name in the beneficiary list in PM KISAN

Step 1: Visit PM Kisan official website – https://pmkisan.gov.in/
Step 2: Click on the ‘Beneficiary list’ tab in the right corner of the page
Step 3: Select details from the drop-down such as select state, district, sub-district, block, and village
Step 4: Click on the ‘Get report’ tab
Details of the beneficiary list will be displayed.

You can call these PM-Kisan Helpline No. 155261 / 011-24300606.

According to the PIB release, “On just one click, more than Rs. 16,000 crores have reached the bank accounts of crores of farmers across the country. There are 80-85% of small farmers in India, now these Small Farmers are a priority of the government. About Rs. 2.5 lakh crores so far has been deposited in the accounts of these small farmers. Of this, more than Rs. 50,000 crores has been deposited in the accounts of our sisters and mothers.”

How does a landholder farmer’s family know that his / her name is included in the list of beneficiaries?
The beneficiary lists would be displayed at Panchayats to ensure greater transparency and information. Further, States/UTs would notify the sanction of benefit to the beneficiary through system-generated SlVlS. He/she can also ascertain his status through the Farmers Corner in the PIV-Kisan portal.

All you need to know about the PM-Kisan scheme
Announced in 2019, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is a central government initiative to provide income support to all landholding farmers’ families in the country.

All land-owning farmer families are eligible for income support through the PM Kisan scheme, which is a project of the central government and is given out in three equal payments of Rs 2,000 every four months. The beneficiary’s bank account receives a straight credit for his month.

International year of millets: Centre to work on decentralised processing & marketing

Themes for a comprehensive plate-to-farm millet food system proposed the People’s Convention on Millets for Millions

The central government will work to decentralise food security by combining the traditional knowledge system of local communities on millets with the scientific knowledge of the universities, said Manoj Ahuja, secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

He was speaking at the ‘People’s Convention on Millets for Millions’, a gathering of farmers, civil society members, researchers and government officials from 28 states to deliberate upon a multi-sectoral approach to ensure that millet consumption benefitted not just consumers but rural communities.

“Food security, so far, has been very centralised, but today we need a decentralised system. Decentralised processing and marketing of millets needs to be economically viable to attract private investments, so that innovations like the ‘millet mixie’ (a machine which dehusks different varieties of millets) can be scaled up,” Ahuja said.

Different aspects of millets, including inclusion of millets in public diet through Public Distribution System and Integrated Child Development Services to mitigate malnutrition, seed and production systems, processing as well as markets, were discussed during the two-day event.

The conclusion of the session saw several recommendations on these aspects. Ramesh Chand, member of NITI Aayog and chief guest at the event, recommended the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) to develop a detailed state-wise package of practices for millets.

“Promotion of millets as a staple food, inclusion of millet to increase dietary diversity and focused increase in investments and support for increasing millet productivity are my three key recommendations,” he said.

Ashok Dalwai, chief executive of NRAA, traced the trajectory of millets from being a forgotten food to being revalorised in India as a nutri-cereal in 2018, the National Year of Millets, which then led to the UN Declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets. He spoke on the need for taking up more research on millets, especially at a time of climate change and less water availability for agriculture.

So far, there has been very little research on millets, but now we have understood that we will have to take a new course, he said. “Farmers, consumers and ecology must be at the center of millet policy framework design. There is a need for more research and development activity on millets, and not just in production but also in processing and storage.”

For designing a comprehensive “plate-to-farm” millet food system, five themes were identified by the organisers, NRAA and Revitalising Rainfed India Network (RRA), for round table discussions to suggest policy recommendations based on experiences on the ground.

Centre should allocate funds to invest upfront, they said, advocating for decentralised procurement around the ‘final distribution points’ by involving farmer-producer organisations / self-help groups. They also recommended decentralised processing in which block- or mandal-level stock point-processing units can be established, from where material can go to anganwadi centres to minimise transportation charges and storage.

Developing and notifying standards for allowing millets in government warehouses and pest management are also imperative, the experts added. They also suggested methods to bring out local priorities like community-led mapping of seeds, knowledge- and ecosystem-based wisdom, including innovative cultivation methods.

For promoting the grains, they talked about the benefits of establishing millet corridors and behavioural changes through campaigns, food festivals and recipe competitions. Preparing ‘frequently asked questions’ for state-preferred millets was also proposed.

17th International Crop Science Conference & Exhibition at Dubai hosted delegates from across the Globe

The 17^th International Crop Science Conference & Exhibition (ICSCE 2023 Dubai) organized by the Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) took place in Dubai, UAE on 16^th & 17^th February 2023. The two days event began with an address by Mr. Pradip Dave, President, PMFAI.

ICSCE is an international platform for Agrochemical/pesticide companies and allied chemical industries, to develop strategic and sourcing relationships with international pesticide companies and to get updated on current trends in the Agrochemical market. ICSCE is an annual international event organized by PMFAI to improve the health of the Generic Pesticide Industry and to bring researchers in the field of agriculture, pesticide manufacturers, agrochemical traders, and allied industries under one roof. The event provides an opportunity for business expansion by way of joint ventures, bilateral trade, sub-contracting / contract manufacturing and distribution, and networking opportunities for buyers and sellers to benefit mutually.

ICSCE 2023-Dubai witnessed tremendous response with the active participation of delegates from across the globe. Ninety-six leading companies showcased their product portfolios during the two days of ICSCE 2023. With over 1300 plus footfall and more than 1000 registered delegates’ participation, the event was a resounding success.

Coinciding with the event, the Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) and “The Russian Union of Manufacturers of Crop Protection Products” signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the area of production and distribution of Crop Protection products, enhancing Indian and Russian cooperation in Agriculture and Crop Protection market.

The participants of ICSCE 2023 were also informed about the plans of PMFAI along with the World BioProtection Forum (WBF) to organize the Biocontrol Conference and Exhibition. The date to organize the event is being discussed and will be declared soon.

Delegates from various countries all over the world included – Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Columbia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Korea, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Morocco, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Philippines, Palestine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Syria, Singapore, Sweden, Tunisia, Tanzania, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkey, USA, U.K., United Arab Emirates (UAE), Vietnam and Zambia.

Govt offloads 5.08 lakh tn wheat in third round of e-aution

Govt offloads 5.08 lakh ton wheat in third round of e-auction

This auction comes amid fear that prevailing high temperatures could continue through March impacting the rabi wheat crop

To arrest spiking food inflation, the union government on Wednesday conducted the third round of wheat auction which saw 5.08 lakh tonnes of wheat hitting the open market from the central pool.

This auction comes amid fear that prevailing high temperatures could continue through March impacting the rabi wheat crop. Last year, the government had to ban wheat exports due to crop damage owing to excessive heat in March.

“The third e-auction to offload wheat under OMSS (D) was held on 22.02.2023. Stocks were offered from 620 depots spread over 23 Regions of FCI across the country. Total quantity of 11.79 LMT was offered and 5.07 LMT of wheat was auctioned,” an official statement said.

Against the all India weighted average reserve price of ₹2138.12/Quintal, stocks were sold for an all India weighted average selling price of ₹2172.08/Quintal, the statement further read.

In the first two rounds, nearly 13 lakh tonnes of wheat have been sold under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The next weekly e-auction will be held on March 1.

“If the prevailing high temperatures continue through March, the rabi wheat crop will be impacted and yields would at best be on a par — or marginally lesser — than last year’s low,” Crisil said in a report.

In Uttar Pradesh — accounting for ~30% of India’s wheat production — the eastern part is expected to have relatively good yields on-year because of timely sowing after harvest of kharif paddy.

On the other hand, western UP could see a marginal decline due to late sowing — majorly in the sugarcane belt — if high temperatures persist in March. In Punjab and Haryana (together accounting for ~25% of India’s wheat production), late-sown wheat is in the flowering stage, while the early sown lot is in the milking stage.

“High temperatures are detrimental to grain formation in both these stages. Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh (~20% of India’s wheat production) late-sown wheat is at the milking stage. But Bihar (~5% of India’s wheat production) saw early sowing and the crop there is at the grain formation/maturation stage,” the report added.

While wheat prices have been on a downward trend in the past 20 days, if these high temperatures persist for the next 20 days, there could be a turnaround in prices, the report further stated.

Wheat prices have been on the rise ever since the Ukraine war began in February last year as Russia and Ukraine accounted for nearly one-fourth of the global wheat production. The surge in international prices prompted India to ban wheat exports in May in order to check in rise in domestic prices.

The government later in May prohibited exports of wheat flour (atta), flour, semolina and wholemeal atta.

HDFC Bank said in a note, “The inflation fight is not over yet and the moderation seen at the end of 2022 was neither broad-based nor durable. While we know that government interventions—like offloading of wheat stocks in January—coupled with healthy rabi output could help ease pressures on cereal as well as protein inflation over the coming months, controlling core inflation could be much tougher.”

Early summer: IARI sees no threat to wheat

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s (IARI) Director and Principal Scientist A.K. Singh said there was no impact expected on wheat during the ongoing rabi season, due to a possible early arrival of summer. Talking to reporters here on Thursday, a day ahead of IARI’s convocation, Dr. Singh said there was less likelihood of terminal heat conditions till March 16, and by that time the grain-filling stage of wheat would be over. The IARI would also release new heat-tolerant varieties of wheat that it had developed.

Dr. Singh said the current maximum temperature in the wheat belt of northwest India was between 26 and 32 degree celsius and the minimum temperature was between 12 and 16 degree celsius. “Currently the maximum temperature is above normal by three or four degree celsius and minimum temperature is above normal by two or three degree celsius,” he said and added: “Though February has been warmer mainly on account of dry weather usually brought about by western disturbance- induced rains, wheat being in the anthesis to flowering stages during the period, has not been adversely impacted.”

Wide variety

He said the 61st convocation of the IARI would be held on Friday and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be the chief guest. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar will also be present at the function. During the convocation, the Vice President of India will release different varieties of cereals, fruits and vegetables. “This year, 16 varieties/hybrids in field crops were developed through integrated approach of conventional and genomics-assisted breeding,” Dr. Singh said.

This include 10 varieties of wheat, two herbicide-tolerant rice varieties, a drought-tolerant chickpea variety named Pusa JG-16 and a mustard variety, Pusa Mustard-34.

“Four bio-fortified pearl millet lines such as PPMI 1280, PPMI 1281, PPMI 1283 and PPMI 1284 (with high iron and zinc content) were developed. In horticultural crops, two varieties of rose (Pusa Lakshmi and Pusa Bhargava); marigold (Pusa Parv and Pusa Utsav); gladiolus (Pusa Rajat); chrysanthemum (Pusa Lohit); and bougainvillea (Pusa Akansha)— were identified. Two soft-seeded guava varieties— Pusa Aarushi and Pusa Pratiksha— with red and white pulp, respectively, have been developed,” Dr. Singh said.

Centre issues Quality Control Order for cotton bales

Driven by record high prices amid a global shortage last year, New Delhi’s cotton import bill surged 200% to surpass the $1bn mark in the 10 months to January

New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday issued Quality Control Order (QCO) for cotton bales, aimed at checking imports of sub-standard cotton and improve the quality of India’s textile exports.

A QCO ensures the quality of a product by mandating conformity of standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Items under these orders are not allowed to be produced, sold or imported without the BIS mark.

QCO for cotton bales assumes significance as the Indian textile industry is largely dependent on cotton, which is a crucial part of the textile value chain. Mismatch in demand and supply during the current financial year had driven domestic cotton prices to a record high of ₹1.10 lakh per candy (1 candy = 356 kg). This led to disruption in textile production.

The Narendra Modi-led government has issued QCO on a range of products from toys to leather footwear to curb substandard imports and boost exports.

“Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal approved the Quality Control Order (QCO) for mandatory certification of cotton bales under specification No. IS12171: 2019-Cotton Bales to augment supply of good quality cotton to the textile industry,” the ministry of textiles said in a statement.

Mint had reported on 31 January that the government was looking at bringing in QCO for cotton bales and viscose yarn to boost exports and curb imports of sub-standard products.

Textile secretary Rachna Shah in an interview with Mint had said that there have been instances of sub-standard items coming in from other countries and QCOs seek to address the problem.

Goyal pointed out that the quality check of domestically produced cotton is beneficial for farmers and industry and that the branding of Indian Cotton will add value to the entire value chain.

The move comes amid stagnant cotton production in the country. Driven by record high prices amid a global shortage last year, New Delhi’s cotton import bill surged 200% to surpass the $1bn mark in the 10 months to January, official data showed.

In its latest projection, the Cotton Association of India (CAI) has cut the country’s 2022-23 cotton output estimate to 33 million bales (each of 170 kg), down by 925,000 bales from its earlier forecast.

Stagnant cotton production is especially worrying as prices of textiles have risen consistently over the last three years, the Economic Survey 2023 said, adding that clothing and footwear were among the major contributors of headline inflation in FY23.

J&K administration approves project worth Rs 463 crore to empower farmers

Synopsis

“Currently, there is a significant gap between extension workers and farmers, with a ratio of 1:1100 and contact intensity of one hour per farmer every year. The existing system is also plagued by defects such as lack of realistic base-level information, poor coordination and cohesiveness among the extension players and a low level of public confidence,” he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has approved a five year project worth Rs 463 crore, aimed at empowering farmers and educated youth through technology-driven and inclusive agri-extension services, a senior government official said on Wednesday. One of the crucial outcomes of the project on “Innovative Extension Approaches for Revitalizing Agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir” would be creation of 2,000 ‘Kisan Khidmat Ghars’ (KKGs), which will serve as an ‘one stop centre’ for extending farmer oriented services, said Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department.

He said the extension system in Jammu and Kashmir faces many challenges, including serving a large clientele with structural complexity and functional diversity.

“Currently, there is a significant gap between extension workers and farmers, with a ratio of 1:1100 and contact intensity of one hour per farmer every year. The existing system is also plagued by defects such as lack of realistic base-level information, poor coordination and cohesiveness among the extension players and a low level of public confidence,” he said.

Dulloo said the project aims to address these issues by developing a dynamic agri-extension system using IoT-enabled real-time big data for farm-centric planning and resource allocation.

This technology enabled system will form the basis for a proactive agriculture extension system with a cluster approach. This approach will use real-time regional analysis of climate and agro-ecology information to promote niche agriculture under given agro-climatic conditions,” he said.

The official said the project is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors here.

Dulloo said the project envisages to promote sustainable and profitable agriculture with a significant increase in the share of agricultural GDP.

“To achieve this goal, the project will establish 2,000 Panchayat level KKGs, revitalising the Block-level Extension Advisory Committee and promoting Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) as a hub of convergence of services at the district level.

“The project will also establish business orientation centres at SKUAST-Kashmir and Jammu and facilitate real time problem redressal through cyber extension, including RS-GIS driven agro-advisories and ICT-based virtual contacts and communication systems,” he said.

It will serve as a knowledge centre with modern ICT tools, including a kiosk, to provide direct access to various information such as input supply, technology, marketing, and more. The KKG will be a platform for public-private partnership to manage the value chain effectively and economically,” the official said, adding that KKG will have a technical facilitator to provide end-to-end services to farmers at nominal charges.

Meanwhile, the project would also reorient capacity building programme and promote secondary agriculture.

“This will include training in agri-business, marketing, secondary agriculture and non-farm activities. It will constitute an ‘Agri-Extension Club’ promoting regular online Expert Extension Lecture Series and skilling farmers and youth in mission mode for profitable agriculture, entrepreneurship development, agri-business startups, employment generation and livelihood security,” he said.