SKUAST-K Imparts Entrepreneurship Skills to Educated Women in 6-Week Training Programme

The Vegetable Science Division began a 6-week training programme on hydroponics in vegetable crops on November 15. On Tuesday (December 27), the programme concluded with a ceremony at the SKUAST-K main campus in Shalimar. Prof Ummyiah H Masoodi, Assistant Professor Vegetable Science Division, said that the entrepreneurship-based six-week training programme was held to encourage educated females to start their own businesses.

An Emerging Technology focused on increasing productivity, quality, and income for small and marginal farmers. The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises funded the training programme (MSME). The training was held in the Repora Lar area of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, with a group of 25 participants attending each day. "We discovered many educated unemployed females in the district and other areas who had the raw material of the vegetable available to them, so we wanted to give them some skills so that they could start their business venture," Prof Masoodi explained.

"There is a lot of interest and passion among educated females who want to be self-sufficient but lack the necessary skills. Our goal was to teach them to use their passions and become self-sufficient by starting their own businesses," she explained. Training was provided on vermicomposting, onion pran production, hydroponics, nursery raising, and early vegetable cultivation.

Muhammad Maqbool also shared his experience as a progressive farmer and stated that the university, specifically the vegetable Science Division, has assisted several farmers in starting their own business ventures. 

"For example, we have an expenditure of more than Rs 100 on one kg mushroom but in the market we get only Rs 100 to sell it. This is a serious problem for us," he stated. Prof. Ummyiah H Masoodi responded that farmers must work hard and strengthen their marketing. "In every industry, marketing is more important than production. Farmers' marketing strategies must be strengthened throughout India and abroad," she says.

Aside from Prof Ummyiah H Masoodi, who coordinated training on sustainable agriculture and self-employment, Dr. Syed Berjes Zehra coordinated the six-week training programme, which included training on Vermi-composting as a step toward organic farming. Dr. RakhshandaAnayat provided training on nursery raising and off-season vegetable cultivation under protected cultivation, while Dr. Gazala Nazir coordinated training on improved production technology, processing, and value addition Onion and Pran for the region's economy.

Professor Shabir Ahmad Wani, Dean Faculty of Horticulture, was also in attendance. The course coordinators and division of Vegetable science were congratulated on their successful completion of the training by the Director Planning and Monitoring and Dean Faculty of Horticulture SKUAST-K. In his address, Prof M.I Makhdoomi, Head Division of Vegetable Science, emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship in vegetable production. Various scientists from the division of vegetable science also attended the programme.