Ganderbal, Dec 15: A day long workshop cum awareness camp was organized today on the promotion of Prime Minister’s Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME), One District One Product (ODOP) walnut in District Ganderbal at KVK SKUAST (K) Shuhama.
Vice Chancellor SKUAST (K), Dr. Syed Nazir Ahmad Ganie and District Development Commissioner (DDC), Ganderbal Shyambir presided over the camp.
The workshop was attended by Scientists from different Departments, Officers and Staff from Developmental Departments, Farmers from Walnut industry and Students.
At the outset, Dr. Salman Rauoof Chalkoo, Assistant Director Fisheries and District Nodal Officer, PM-FME welcomed all the participants and briefed the audience about the scheme guidelines.
Vice Chancellor, SKUAST Kashmir, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Ganai emphasized the need for cluster based approach between the Departments and University to achieve much needed success in the field of walnut industry. He stressed for multiplication of exotic varieties of walnut to further increase productivity.
DDC while speaking on the occasion stressed on the need of labelling all value added products for its acceptability at national and international markets and urged the committee framed to facilitate the growers. He also praised the efforts of PM-FME associated officers and promised farmers/industrialists for all possible help and technical guidance from DNO PMFME and all the officers associated with the scheme.
During the program the performance under PM-FME was highlighted and the audiences were briefed about the scope of the walnut industry in District Ganderbal.
Dr. Ishfaq Abidi, Head KVK Ganderbal briefed the audience about the morphological features of various walnuts, efforts done by the KVK for technological intervention.
Dr. Syed Zameer, Head Food Technology SKUAST Kashmir, presented an elaborate presentation on the walnut processing line innovated by SKUAST Kashmir and the measures to manage and process walnut from time to time.
Later, appreciation certificates were also presented by the DDC to the team members in order to encourage and appreciate their efforts.
