Srinagar: Three days national symposium on “Renaissance of Hill Agriculture Through Advanced Genetics & Crop Breeding under Scenario of Climate Change” was inaugurated by AtalDulloo,IAS Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Agriculture Production Deptt. J&K at NundReshi Convention Centre SKUAST-Kashmir. The symposium was jointly organized by SKUAST-Kashmir and Indian Society of genetics & Plant Breeding.
The inaugural event was attended by various distinguished scientists from ICAR including the Director IARI New Delhi Dr. A K Singh, Dr N. K. Sing, National Professor, Dr.AkshayTalukdar, Secretary ISGPB and Prof. H. K.Choudhary, Vice Chancellor CSK, HPKV. The dignitaries outlined the focal areas for hill and mountain agro-ecosystems to increase adaptive capacity, profitability, improve livelihood and bring much needed sustainability through plant breeding and management interventions.
In his inaugural address Prof.Nazir AhmadGanai, Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Kashmir thanked ISGPB for holding such mega event on a topical theme of current importance and bringing in national science leaders and policy makers on one platform to deliberate upon the challenges facing hill and mountain agriculture. In his inaugural address AtalDulloo Chief Guest of the inaugural function stressed upon bringing much needed diversification, promoting crop biodiversity conservation and harnessing niche advantage for farmer’s benefit. He outlined the new structure of policy planning with active support from SKUAST-Kashmir in shaping up the new farm policy of state. The experts also spoke on the occasion and stressed the need for collaborative research with national Institutions for leveraging research output of farmer’s benefits. On the occasion the symposium souvenir and two booklets on maize were also released. The symposium will cover various issues related to hill and mountain systems under climate change scenarios and develop recommendations for future action plans. During the three days event different technical sessions will be held in which top scientists and academicians shall be participating.

KR Desk