National conference on role of cooperatives concludes at SKUAST-K

Srinagar, March 17: To promote the cultivation of exotic crops in the Himalayan region, a two-day national conference on the development of horticulture in the Indian trans-Himalayan Region through cooperatives was conducted at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir Shalimar campus.

The conference was organised by ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Srinagar and SKUAST-K in collaboration with MIDH, CNRI, World Co-operation Economic Forum (WCoPEF), SFAC, NCDEX, CHAI, AIASA, NCUI and VAMNICOM. Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, and Chairman, WCoPEF & IFFCO, Dileep Sanghani, presided over the valedictory function of the two-day event.

Prof Ganai, at the occasion, announced that SKUAST-K will work jointly with WCoPEF, NCUI, CNRI, CITH-ICAR to promote the cultivation of exotic crops in the Himalayan region under the cooperative mechanism. He said the focus will be on value addition, creating in situ employment and making a farmer-centric value chain system in Kashmir.

Dileep Sanghani while addressing the valedictory function emphasized the Himalayan region's rich diversity, encompassing demographics, economics, and environment, creating a perfect setting for cultivating unique and exotic crops. “We at WCoopEF are joining forces with esteemed institutions like ICAR-CITH, SKUAST-k, NCUI, and CNRI to bolster the cooperative movement in the Himalayas and promote the cultivation of hazelnuts, walnuts, and other non-native crops,” he said.

CNRI Secretary General, Binod Anand, who delivered the keynote address, said, “Cooperative societies in the Indian Trans Himalayan region need to work closely with the government to encourage farmers to cultivate horticulture crops. Our estimates suggest that we could create 5 million in-situ employment in the Himalayan region via cooperatives by encouraging youths to take up the cultivation of exotic products.”

Former Chancellor, CAU Imphal, Dr RB Singh; Member NITI Aayog, Dr Ramesh Chand; Ex-DDG Horticulture, Dr HP Singh, Group Chairman Dhanuka, R G Aggrawal; Chairman IIPA, New Delhi, Dr Rajvir Sharma; MD Amul, Amit Vyas delivered keynote lectures.