Srinagar, October 15 (Scoop News) – The Governor, N. N. Vohra and the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah have stressed the need for undertaking academic audit and setting highest standards for teaching and research in the Agricultural Universities of the State to establish themselves as centres of excellence and ensure effective utilization of the available capacities. The Governor stressed the need to re-orient traditional approaches to timely and effectively meet the serious problems relating to the fast impacting phenomenon of global warming and climate change.
The Governor and the Chief Minister were addressing the 19th University Council meeting of the
The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the University, while chairing the meeting emphasized that area specific plans should be timely formulated with a view to maximizing the productivity in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, animal husbandry and all other allied sectors. He added that all required structural changes in the varied sectors of agriculture must be timely conceptualized and implemented for ensuring the optimal growth of these sectors.
The Governor said that the rate of seed replacement needs most urgent improvement and, besides, all other inputs and interventions must be accorded very high priority to raise productivity levels, particularly in the sectors of agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, vegetable and mushroom cultivation, fisheries, dairy farming, sheep and goat breeding etc, which have high inherent potential for generating wealth and employment opportunities in the State. He also laid high stress for establishing all the planned Krishi Vigyan Kendras within a fixed time-frame as these are the nuclei for securing the sustained growth of agriculture and allied activities on modern and scientific lines, which are the key for achieving rural prosperity.
Referring to the damage caused by the recent floods in Ladakh, the Governor called for taking all the required measures for ensuring timely supply of good quality seeds, saplings, plant materials and other required inputs to the farmers as well as the reclamation of the flood affected lands as the next crop season is not far away. He added that all the concerned agencies shall need to coordinate most closely for this purpose.
The Chief Minister, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the University, called for regular monitoring of the utilization of available resources so that the entire planned infrastructure and allied facilities come up in a time-bound manner. He said that there must be greater synergy between various institutions with a view to maximizing benefits of all the schemes for the growers.
The Chief Minister also referred to the development of pastures and emphasized that there is need to go in for the quickest and the easiest way to achieve the desired results in view of the rising need of fodder for the livestock.
The Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir, emphasized the need for rapid and sustained growth of agriculture and allied sectors in the State and the crucial role both the Agricultural Universities can play in this effort. He said that the university research farms should serve as a model to the farmers showcasing the tremendous opportunities of growth available in the agriculture sector.
Mir was of the view that more youth need to be encouraged to pursue postgraduate courses and undertake research in view of tremendous potential available in agriculture and the allied sectors.
The Minister for Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Aga Syed Ruhulla Mehdi, gave several suggestions for enhancing production of fodder and early implementing the proposed oats cultivation project to meet the fast increasing requirements of fodder for the livestock.
Various components and aspects of the Rs. 100 crore special grant announced by the Prime Minister for the University and the Rs. 375 crore National Saffron Mission being implemented in the State, were also discussed.
The Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Dr. Tej Partap, made a power point presentation, detailing achievements made by the University in teaching, research and other fields of activity. He also dwelt on the various components of the Rs. 100 crore special grant announced by the Prime Minister for the University.
The meeting was attended by the Vice Chancellor, SKUAST,
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