At a recent meeting in Srinagar, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo met with a delegation from the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to discuss how to bring climate-smart agriculture to Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation, which included ICRISAT’s Deputy Director General, Dr. Stanford Blade, and senior scientists Dr. Manzoor Dar and Dr. Demaris Odeny, along with SKUAST-Kashmir’s Director of Research, Professor Haroon Naik, focused on a key initiative: the creation of a Himalayan Centre of Excellence for Dryland Agriculture at SKUAST-K.
This new center is designed to make J&K a leader in sustainable and climate-resilient farming. It will be a hub for research and technology tailored to the unique environment of the Himalayan region, concentrating on several areas:
- Developing crop varieties that can withstand climate changes.
- Improving local seed systems.
- Promoting farming practices that regenerate soil and thrive in dry conditions.
- Advancing water and soil conservation.
- Strengthening value chains to benefit farmers directly.
A major topic of discussion was the urgent need for fodder security in J&K, as many farming families depend on livestock, especially in hilly and rainfed areas. The delegation emphasized that ensuring a consistent supply of quality fodder throughout the year would boost livestock productivity and improve both the nutrition and livelihoods of rural communities.
The new Centre of Excellence aims to combine advanced research with farmer-focused innovations to create more resilient livelihoods and long-term prosperity for J&K’s farming communities.
