Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union cabinet minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying during his recent visit to Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu interacted with the undergraduate students of the Experiential Learning Programme on Mushroom Cultivation and Spawn Production. He appreciated the efforts of faculty and students and motivated them to take up mushroom cultivation and spawn production as an enterprise as they have now become fully trained on various aspects of the trade. He emphasized that artificial cultivation of mushrooms round the year can be a reliable source of income generation and help the students not only earn their livelihood but they can become job providers rather than job seekers. He stressed upon the need to open up new spawn production labortaries in the Jammu region so that the demand of the farmers regarding availability of spawn is taken care of.
Shri Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Govt. of J & K highlighted the scope of mushroom cultivation in agroeconomy of Jammu and Kashmir. Dr. J.P. Sharma, Vice Chancellor of the University introduced the Minister to various Experiential Learning Programmes being run in the University. The minister was accompanied by Dr. Jag Paul Sharma, Director Research and Registrar of the University and other members of the University governance. Dr. Amrish Vaid, Head of Division of Plant Pathology and Dr. Sachin Gupta, Incharge Mushroom Unit showed various activities being undertaken by the Unit to the dignitaries.
