Capacity Building Programme on Basmati Cultivation and Export Opportunities Held at Bishnah
Jammu, 15 September :- Under the directions of the Director Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare, Jammu, Anil Gupta, and Additional Mission Director, Sh. Satish Sharma, a one-day Capacity Building Programme was organised by the Chief Agriculture Office, Jammu, in collaboration with the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF), a subsidiary of the Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA).
The programme was chaired by MLA Bishnah, Dr. Rajeev Bhagat, and focused on the theme “Judicious Use of Pesticides and Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices for Production of Basmati.” The initiative aimed to train farmers in the cultivation of GI-tagged Basmati rice to enhance export potential and ensure better returns.
Dr. Ritesh Sharma, Joint Director BEDF, attended the programme as Guest of Honour and shared valuable insights on producing export-quality Basmati.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Agriculture Officer Jammu, Manohar Lal Sharma, highlighted that GI-tagged Jammu Basmati holds immense potential in the international market and stressed the need for organising Buyer-Seller Meets to foster better interaction and improve export avenues.
Rajeev Katoch, District Level SMS, emphasized the objectives and far-reaching impact of the capacity building programme.”
Expert sessions were conducted by Dr. Ravneet and Dr. Raju Gupta scientists KVK Jammu, SDAO RS Pura Arun Jaral, S. Jatinder Singh General Manager Sharsid
Overseas who appeared as Resource Persons and guided farmers on scientific cultivation practices.
The event was effectively organised with the support of DAO Extension Jammu, Sh. Vinod Khajuria, District Level SMS who also presented vote of thanks.
Rahul Sawhney, and field functionaries of RS Pura Sub Division effectively managed the event. The proceedings of the programme were successfully carried out by Avtar Singh Charak, Jr. Agriculture Extension Officer.
The programme concluded with an interactive session where farmers expressed keen interest in adopting Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to ensure quality production and to tap global markets.