JAMMU: The 30th Annual Group Meeting of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Rapeseed Mustard commenced at Baba Jitto Auditorium, SKUAST-Jammu today. Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu, Dr. BN Tripathi, was the Chief Guest, while ADG (Oilseeds & Pulses), ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. Sanjeev Gupta, was the Guest of Honour.
In his address, Tripathi highlighted the challenges posed by projected population growth and stressed the need for improvement in agricultural practices and sustainable farming techniques. He emphasised that technological interventions and sustainable farming practices must be embraced by all stakeholders to enhance productivity while minimising environmental impact.
Addressing the alarming deficit in oilseed production, Tripathi highlighted that the country currently faces over 60% annual demand shortfall. Jammu and Kashmir (Union Territory) also reported a deficit in total oilseed production by over 70%.
He praised the role of the ICAR sanctioned AICRP sub-centre at SKUAST-Jammu in increasing the acreage and productivity of rapeseed mustard crops in the region. The initiative has achieved remarkable results over the past decade, with acreage increasing from 55,000 hectares and productivity from 762 kg/ha in 2012 to 140,000 hectares and 1149 kg/ha, respectively in 2022.
He also appreciated the recent sanction of a Rs 31 crore project by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, focusing on the promotion of oilseeds under the Holistic Agricultural Development Project (HADP).
During the meeting, Gupta emphasised the significance of oilseed production and the challenges and opportunities in the sector. He stated that ICAR is actively collaborating with NITI Aayog to set challenges and goals for the year 2047, aiming to achieve surplus production in oilseeds, pulses, meat, fruits and vegetables.
Gupta mentioned that ICAR is actively working on a diverse range of 65 oilseed varieties to develop new and improved varieties to address evolving needs. He stated that the current production scenario as per the 3rd advance estimates for 2023 projected a total of 41 million tonnes of oilseed production during the year.
Director Research, SKUAST-Jammu, Dr. RK Samnotra, highlighted the potential of the Jammu region for rapeseed mustard cultivation and praised the contributions of the AICRP (Rapeseed Mustard) Chatha centre in developing beneficial varieties for the region’s farmers.