Shopian: KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVK) Shopian Wednesday launched a seven-day entrepreneurship skill development program for rural youth on ‘Value Addition and Shelf-Life Extension of Seasonal Vegetables of the Kashmir Region’ at ITI Shopian.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, the program saw active participation from over 50 budding rural youth, guided by KVK Shopian scientists and officials from the Horticulture and Agriculture departments.
Dr. Shaiq Ahmad Ganai, Scientist (Food Technology) and program coordinator, outlined the program’s importance in enhancing farmers’ livelihoods.
Dr. ZaffarAfrozBadri, Head of KVK Shopian, emphasized the need to foster entrepreneurship in value addition, while other KVK scientists, including Dr. Mir Shabir and Dr. Bilal Ahmad, encouraged participants to develop skills to become job creators.
Officials from HDO, ITI, and the Lead Bank also praised KVK Shopian’s initiative, which aims to promote sustainable livelihoods and agro-entrepreneurship by introducing modern preservation, packaging, and value-addition techniques.
