Minister Javid Dar Launches ₹90 Lakh Modern Fruit & Vegetable Processing Center in Jammu to Empower Farmers

JAMMU | February 26, 2026 — In a major boost to the region’s agricultural value chain, Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj, officially inaugurated a state-of-the-art Modern Processing-cum-Training Centre at Udheywala today.

Built with an investment of ₹90 lakh, the facility is designed to bridge the gap between raw harvesting and market-ready products by offering specialized skill development for rural youth, farmers, and women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

During the ceremony, the Minister emphasized that the government’s core strategy involves integrating modern technology with traditional farming to foster entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.

He urged departments to identify high-potential agricultural sectors and push for the cultivation of hybrid varieties to maximize financial returns for the local farming community.

The newly established center is set to become a hub for vocational excellence, offering accredited six-month and one-month certificate courses in fruit and vegetable preservation.

Beyond classroom learning, the facility will deploy mobile demonstration units to provide grassroots-level technical training directly to farmers in remote areas.

To further promote scientific farming, Minister Dar also distributed Soil Health Cards to local beneficiaries, advocating for balanced fertilizer use and data-driven soil management.

The event saw the participation of key administrative figures, including Director Horticulture Jammu Gul Syed and Director Agriculture Jammu Anil Gupta, marking a unified departmental effort to transform Jammu’s horticultural landscape into a self-reliant economic engine.