 Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 20: A one-day training program titled "Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Poultry Farming" was conducted by SKUAST-Jammu (Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu) at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, R.S. Pura campus. The training aimed to raise awareness and sensitize sixty-six final year B.V.Sc. & A.H. (Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry) students about poultry, meat, and egg production and processing, as well as improving the efficiency of poultry production systems, product development, financing, marketing, branding, and entrepreneurship in both commercial and rural backyard poultry sectors.
The program was inaugurated by Prof. Mohinder Singh Bhadwal, the Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences & A.H., with the presence of Prof. Vikas Sharma, the Principal Investigator of NAHEP-IDP (National Agricultural Higher Education Project-Institutional Development Plan) at SKUAST-J, Prof. Jonali Devi, the Head of the Division of Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, and other faculty members. Prof. Bhadwal highlighted the significant growth of the poultry sector in India, with egg and broiler production increasing at a rate of 8 to 10% per annum compared to 1.5 to 2% for crops. He emphasized the high demand for poultry meat and eggs in Jammu and Kashmir, where 84% of the population is non-vegetarian, and outlined the objectives of the training program, which aimed to foster discussions, knowledge exchange, and expertise among the upcoming Veterinary graduates.
Prof. Jonali Devi, an associate member of NAHEP-IDP at SKUAST-Jammu, welcomed the Chief Guest, dignitaries, and speakers of the program. She provided detailed information about the one-day entrepreneurship program and highlighted various areas within the poultry sector where budding veterinarians could start entrepreneurial ventures. Prof. Vikas Sharma gave an overview of the activities undertaken by SKUAST-Jammu under NAHEP, with the goal of fostering vocational and entrepreneurial skills among students.
During the program, invited lectures were delivered by Dr. Rajeev Roy from RR Animal Health Care Limited, Karnal, Haryana, who spoke about the scopes and opportunities in profitable poultry farming, as well as exploring the entrepreneurial potential in poultry disease diagnostic services. Dr. Raman Dhar, a retired Deputy Director of Research from the Animal Husbandry Department in Jammu and Kashmir, and a prominent poultry practitioner, delivered a lecture on the opportunities in the poultry industry in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
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