Research of no use unless shared with farmers : Mehbooba
Urges young graduates to become trendsetters in agriculture entrepreneurship
Calling upon the scientists to share their knowledge with the farmers, the Chief Minister, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the university, said any research that doesn’t change lives and technology that doesn’t upgrade livelihoods of poor farmers is meaningless. She said her late father and former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, used to untiringly remind scientists to come out of their cocoons and take their knowledge into the field. Mehbooba said, How scientists at SKUAST-J rise to the challenge of sustainable agriculture, organic farming and food security is something I would be keenly watching.
Highlighting the huge strides made by countries like New Zealand, Netherlands, Australia and US in agricultural entrepreneurship, the Pro-Chancellor urged the graduating students to take pride in their newly-acquired knowledge so that they become trendsetters of a new agricultural awakening. Even though agriculture and allied sectors continue to remain the mainstay of our economy, it is disappointing that we have not been able to sell this idea to our new generation.
Congratulating the students for attaining their degrees, the Chief Minister said she will back their endeavours in taking research in agriculture to the next higher level. She said she was extremely pleased to witness the excellent performance shown by the girls in the field of agriculture, which she said is crucial on many counts. I am proud of the three girls who won gold medals today for their distinguished performance. Stating that agriculture determines performance of our economy, ensures food security and rural employment, the Chief Minister expressed serious concern over the trend of converting agricultural lands into non-agricultural purposes and wanton construction on highly-productive lands. She said no law or punishment can work unless we incentivize agriculture and inspire the farmer to cultivate land to earn a handsome income.
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