early times report
Ramban, Oct 17: A one-day awareness-cum-training program on “Harvesting and Value Addition of Anardana (Wild Pomegranate)” under the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) was successfully organized today on 17-10-25 at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Ramban, in collaboration with Division of Fruit Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu).
The event was conducted under the project “Promotion of Niche Crops in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir” with an aim to educate and empower anardana growers of the region by imparting practical knowledge on scientific harvesting, quality maintenance, and value addition.
The program was inaugurated by Prof. Parshant Bakshi, Head, Division of Fruit Science, SKUAST-Jammu, and Principal Investigator of the HADP project no 2. In his address, Prof. Bakshi highlighted the importance of the HADP initiative in promoting niche crops like anardana that hold immense potential for improving farmers’ income in hilly districts such as Ramban. He elaborated on the scientific harvesting stages and drying techniques crucial for maintaining the quality and market value of anardana.
He further emphasized that both the fruit and peel of wild pomegranate can serve as high-value products, generating additional income opportunities for local growers. He also emphasised on value addition of anardana.
Dr. Raj Kumar Gupta, Head, KVK Ramban, underlined the socio-economic relevance of anardana cultivation, stressing its role in strengthening the rural economy and enhancing the livelihood security of farmers in the region.
He appreciated the efforts of SKUAST-Jammu in reaching out to the farming community through field-based awareness and capacity-building programs.
Delivering a technical lecture, Dr. Balbir Dhotra, Professor, CONF discussed various organic production of anardana and encouraged growers to diversify their products for better market returns. Dr. Parveen Kumar, Scientist, KVK Ramban, presented an overview of farmer-centric initiatives undertaken by KVK to promote sustainable agricultural practices and ensure technological backstopping to the local farming community.
The program also featured an interactive session wherein anardana growers shared their field experiences, challenges, and success stories.
Their active participation provided valuable insights into the practical aspects of cultivation, harvesting, and marketing.
On this occasion, agricultural tool kits and vegetable seed packets were distributed among participants, and the resource persons were felicitated with mementoes as a token of appreciation. Dr. Zahid Sheikh, Young Professional participated in the event, contributing their expertise and perspectives on the potential of niche crops in the region.
The training concluded with enthusiastic feedback from the participants, who expressed gratitude for the valuable technical guidance and assured to adopt the scientific practices learned during the program to enhance the productivity and profitability of their anardana enterprises. |
