As part of the CSIR's integrated skill initiative, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Pulwama, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), organised a two-day skill development programme for Kashmiri students on the theme of "Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Cultivation and Processing of High-Value Aroma Cash Crops" at its field station, Bonera in the Pulwama district of South Kashmir.
Tej Pratap, Vice-Chancellor, G.B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, and Member, CSIR Aroma Mission National Monitoring Committee, presided over the event. Members of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), research academics from SKUAST, Kashmir, and students from the Government Degree College, Baramulla, were among the 73 participants.
Under the Integrated Skill Initiative CSIR, India is imparting skill and capacity building for the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems in different sectors.
During the two day programme, technical sessions were conducted wherein the participants were enlightened with the entrepreneurship opportunities in the cultivation and processing of the medicinal and aromatic crops.
Field and exposure visits were also conducted for on-farm capacity building and training on QPM generation, crop production and post-harvest management. Kashmiri students lauded this step taken by the concerned institutions for helping them establish their own aromatic plant units.
"We have organized training to train the students on ways to grow aromatic and medicinal plants and set up an agricultural business. Until now this kind of cultivation was done by rich people, which is now being taken up by small farmers. Through Central government's programmes like aroma mission, floriculture mission, small farmers are encouraged to take this cultivation," said Tej Pratap (VC G.B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Uttarakhand).
"Today, we got information about how we can become entrepreneurs. We are trained here to grow lavender, process and sell in the market. Besides, we got to know how to process rose oil, etc. We got to learn a lot from IIIM," said Mohammad Salim, a participant.
"We got to know about opportunities in the aromatic mission and floriculture mission. They told us that they will provide us with material if we want to venture into entrepreneurship," said Shabir Ahmad, a participant.
"We were taught how to grow plants, harvest and extract oil. We were told how to market them. We were taught how to grow lavender, roses, tulips and many plants," said Zeenat Shafi, a participant.
