Srinagar: SK University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir held a 10-day online national workshop on “Underutilised Plant Species: Future Smart Crops for Food, Nutritional Security and Income Generation”.
The workshop was organised by the university’s Division of Vegetable Sciences under All India Coordinated Research Project (Vegetable Crops) Srinagar Centre in collaboration with World Bank-ICAR funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP).
About 500 students, scholars, scientists and faculty members from various agriculture universities from 24 states and union territories participated in the programme held from Aug 20-29
Dr HP Singh (Former DDG, Horticulture, ICAR, New Delhi), Padmashri Dr Brahma Singh (Ex-Director, Life Sciences, (DRDO), Dr Bijendra Singh ( Vice Chancellor, ANDUAT, Ayodhya), Dr Rakesh Shah (Vice Chancellor, Himalayiya University, Dehradun), Dr Jagdish Singh (Director IIVR-Varanasi), Dr DB Singh (Director, ICAR- CITH, Srinagar), Dr Kuldeep Singh (Director, ICAR- NBPGR, New Delhi), Dr MAA Siddique (Dean, Student Welfare, SKUAST-K), Dr Sheikh Bilal (Director, RCFC North II, SKUAST-K), Dr TK Behera (Professor Division Of Vegetable Science, IARI, New Delhi), Dr Aghora TS (ICAR-IIHR, Bangaluru), Dr Athar Parvez Ansari (Research Officer, Unani, RRIUM) delivered speeches and held training sessions.
Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazeer Ahmed, while chairing the valedictory function, stressed upon the importance of underutilised plant species as future food and medicine resources. He emphasised on the use of modern sciences for improving their productivity and value addition.
Dr Jagdish Singh, Director Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, who was guest of honour at the occasion, emphasised on underutilised vegetable crops as future smart crops for nutritional security and income generation. He Stressed upon domestication of these crops for promote agricultural diversity and as a solution to many of the problems associated with intensive agriculture.
Prof NA Ganai Director Planning and Co-ordinator NAHEP complimented the organisers for conducting the training and roping in eminent speakers from across the country. He highlighted that these crops are nutritionally very rich, they have a good potential for food and nutritional security, health and income generation especially for local communities.
Vice Chancellor Prof Nazeer Ahmed
congratulated Dr Sumati Narayan, Head Division of Vegetable Science) and Dr Ajaz Ahmed Malik (Organising Secretary) on successful completion of the training programme.

KR Desk