The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal today addressed the eight days skill entrepreneurship development programme under the theme ‘Mushroom farming as an Agri- buisness’ at Agriculture Complex Lalmandi Srinagar.
The programme was organised by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Srinagar in collaboration with 10 Bn Sashastra Seema Bal and department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Kashmir. In his address, Director Agriculture highlighted the importance of small scale Agri-cottage industries like Mushroom Cultivation, Bee keeping, etc in the overall development of the agriculture sector.
He said the main aim of organising such programs is to promote such enterprises and to generate a skilled farming community.Mushroom farming has a potential to generate employment opportunities and the units already established by many educated youth are making success stories out of it, he added.
Director Agriculture expressed satisfaction that many people, mostly educated youth are able to earn their livelihood because of mushroom farming. He said the mushroom farming forms the potential part of integrated farming and could play an important role in complementing the farmers income.
He also said mushroom farming as an off- farm activity has a potential of employment generation and contribution to rural economic growth. The programme was also attended by the Joint Director Agriculture Inputs Kashmir, Program Coordinator KVK Srinagar, Officers from Agriculture department and a large number of mushroom farmers.