BANDIPORA: The Division of Agricultural Extension & Communication, Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST-Kashmir, in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Gurez, organised an Awareness-cum-Training Programme on Millets under the JKST&IC-funded Project titled “Collection, Characterization, nutritional profiling and revival of Millets of North-western Himalayas of Kashmir” at KVK Gurez.
The programme aimed to enhance farmers’ awareness regarding millet cultivation, their nutritional importance, value addition, marketing opportunities, and the development of collective enterprises for improving rural livelihoods.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Principal Investigator of the JKST&IC Sponsored Project and Head, Division of Agricultural Extension, highlighted the importance of reviving traditional millet cultivation to ensure nutritional security, climate resilience, and sustainable farming systems. He encouraged farmers to adopt millet cultivation and take advantage of the various government schemes and programmes supporting millet production and value chain development.
During the technical sessions, Dr. Shijaat Hussain Bhat, Assistant Professor, Division of Agricultural Extension, delivered an informative lecture on the marketing prospects of millets, emphasizing market linkages, branding, and entrepreneurship opportunities for millet growers.
Dr. Syed Shafat Kubrevi, Assistant Professor, Division of Agricultural Extension, sensitised the participants about value addition in millets and demonstrated how processing and diversified millet-based products can significantly enhance farmers’ income while creating new livelihood opportunities in the region.
Dr. Zahoor Ahmad Shah, Assistant Professor, Division of Agricultural Extension, elaborated on the role and benefits of Millet-based Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). He explained how FPOs can strengthen collective marketing, improve access to quality inputs, facilitate value addition, enhance farmers’ bargaining power, and enable them to access government support and larger markets.
Dr. Jauhar Rafiq Parray, Scientist KVK-Gurez highlighted the significance of Millets in present day agriculture due to their resilience to climate change, low input requirements and high nutritional value.
In line with the vision of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganie, SKUAST-K continues to intensify its outreach programmes aimed at empowering farming communities through scientific interventions, promotion of climate-resilient crops, nutritional security, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from local farmers, who actively interacted with the resource persons and expressed keen interest in promoting millet cultivation in the Gurez region. The organisers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening farmers’ capacities and promoting climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive agriculture through sustained awareness, training, and extension initiatives.