Srinagar, Aug 13: A two-day skill development programme on plum processing commenced at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Ganderbal. Professor Shabir A. Wani, Dean of the Faculty of Horticulture, inaugurated the event.
The programme aimed to impart skills in processing plum, an important stone fruit of Kashmir valley, and encourage rural youth to establish small-scale processing units for product development.
Dr Ishfaq Abidi, Chief Scientist & Head of KVK Ganderbal, emphasized the potential of small-scale fruit and vegetable processing units, highlighting their market value, economic returns, and employment opportunities.
Dean Wani interacted with participants, informing them about various Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) schemes available to youth for transforming primary agriculture into secondary agriculture.
Dr Faheema Mushtaq, Professor of Vegetable Science, presented an overview of vegetable seed production and its processing scope in Ganderbal district.
Dr Rafiya Munshi, Scientist (Home Science) and programme coordinator, delivered a detailed presentation on small-scale fruit and vegetable processing, value addition, and potential plum-based products.
Dr Suja Nabi Qureshi, SMS (Horticulture), discussed plum maturity indices and addressed production-related queries. Dr Farooq A. Ahanger, SMS (Plant Protection), and Dr Shaheen Farooq, SMS (Animal Science), briefed trainees on the Integrated Farming System (IFS) model and the importance of plum in fruit diversification. The programme included an interactive session with scientific staff and practical demonstrations at the Food Processing Technology Centre (FPTC) of SKUAST-K Shalimar.