Shivraj Singh Chouhan Champions Farmer-Centric Innovation During SKUAST-K Visit

As part of his two-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir, Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, visited the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Shalimar, to review advancements in horticultural innovation and engage in meaningful dialogue with stakeholders across the agriculture value chain. The visit underlines the Centre’s intensified focus on building a Viksit Bharat through a Viksit Jammu & Kashmir, with agriculture and horticulture as its core engines of inclusive development.

Field Visit: Showcasing High-Tech Orchard Practices

The Minister began his day at the university’s horticulture research and demonstration blocks, where he reviewed next-generation farming techniques developed by SKUAST-K researchers. These included:

• A new high-yielding apple variety capable of bearing fruit within the first year, drastically cutting down orchard gestation time.

• Protective netting systems designed to shield crops from hail damage.

• Scientific pruning protocols aimed at optimizing tree health and fruit quality.

• Advanced water and nutrient management systems to increase per-hectare yield and minimize resource wastage.

Local growers and orchardists, many of whom have adopted these scientific practices, shared personal testimonies of improved production and income stability. Shri Chouhan lauded the collaborative efforts of scientists and farmers, calling them “a model of grassroots innovation.”

Interacting with the Next Generation of Agri-Leaders

The Minister also held a special interaction with SKUAST-K students from across India. Students showcased a vibrant array of horticultural produce, including apples, apricots, walnuts, almonds, berries, and demonstrated post-harvest innovations such as cold-stored apples with over six months of shelf life.

Shri Chouhan praised the university’s growing national and international profile, referring to SKUAST-K as a “vibrant hub of agricultural learning and applied research”.

Ground-Level Dialogue with Farmers and Agri Stakeholders

The highlight of the day was a stakeholder interaction involving a wide spectrum of participants:

• Farmers

• Beekeepers

• Cold storage operators

• Nursery owners

They candidly presented their challenges and recommendations. Key issues included:

🍎 Apple and Orchard Growers:

• Concerns about global warming, erratic weather, and hailstorms

• Demand for reduction in pesticide costs and availability of quality inputs

• Requests for fair procurement rates and import duty protection from international produce

🌸 Saffron Cultivators:

• Need for better irrigation, especially utilization of 128 underused borewells

• Requests for research support to improve crop competitiveness against Iranian saffron

🐝 Beekeepers:

• Calls for crop insurance, affordable credit, and stricter regulation of harmful pesticides

• Need for enhanced research to increase honey productivity

❄️ Cold Storage Operators:

• Push for higher subsidies for large-scale storage units (5,000–6,000 MT)

• Need for price stability, especially in urban markets disrupted by outside produce influx

🌱 Nursery Operators:

• Demand for efficient logistics, including a dedicated rail policy to facilitate timely movement of planting material

Minister’s Assurances: "From Seed to Shelf, We Stand with the Farmer"

In his response, Shri Chouhan reiterated that farmer welfare is at the core of India’s development narrative. He emphasized that such interactions are “not administrative formalities but acts of national service”.

Key commitments and announcements included:

• Establishment of Clean Plant Centres with ₹150 crore investment to produce disease-free planting material

• Subsidies for private nurseries to scale up modern horticulture practices

• Strengthening Horticulture and Agro-Processing Development Limited (HADPL) to drive innovation and farmer-market linkages

• Empowering ICAR scientists to spend more time in the field to understand local issues

• Reforming the pesticide ecosystem, including quality control enforcement, and legal penalties for the sale of substandard inputs

• Enhancing railway connectivity and logistics support for timely delivery of produce and planting material

A Roadmap to Make J&K a Global Horticultural Powerhouse

Shri Chouhan outlined a comprehensive strategy to transform Jammu & Kashmir into a global horticulture leader, focusing on:

• Reducing import dependence through domestic innovation

• Encouraging high-density plantations

• Scaling export-ready infrastructure

• Leveraging GI tags and local branding for Kashmiri produce

• Supporting farmers through natural farming, diversification, and value addition

He emphasized that these efforts align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s six-point agricultural strategy, which seeks to enhance productivity, lower input costs, ensure fair prices, manage crop loss, diversify agriculture, and ensure long-term sustainability.

A Vision Grounded in Service

Shri Chouhan concluded with a message of hope and determination:

“For me, service to farmers is the most meaningful form of public service. My phone remains open to every farmer. Our vision is simple: from seed to shelf, the Government of India is your partner in growth.”

He called on youth, researchers, and policymakers to come together and make agriculture a proud, profitable, and globally competitive profession.