‘Agri-startups provide new and lucrative avenue of income generation’
SRINAGAR: To sensitise youth about agri-startups with a focus on the economic viability, cultivation and commercialisation of medicinal and aromatic plants, ornamentals and mushrooms, the Department of Botany, Kashmir University (KU) Wednesday, inaugurated a weeklong skill development and training programme here.
Titled, ‘Empowering Potential, Fostering Future: Building Entrepreneurship for Self-Employment’, the programme aims to empower youth with practical skills and encourage a culture of start-ups and entrepreneurship, an official release issued here read.
KU Registrar, Prof Naseer Iqbal, emphasised the crucial role of start-ups and the urgent promotion and development of entrepreneurship for self-reliance and economic prosperity.
“The university’s collaboration with industry and government bodies will prepare our youth to meet the demands of the job-market and to achieve that goal they need practical skills for their professional growth,” he said, adding that such training programmes will orient individuals towards a more developed and holistic mindset with regard to ensuring the ever-increasing demand of food, medicine and livelihood is met.
He also assured the university’s support and handholding to promising participants who endeavour to come up with a potential business model, idea or start-up.
Dean, School of Biological Sciences, Prof Abdul Hamid Wani, said that such training programmes will enhance the skills of the aspiring youth in ensuring a better and prosperous future.
“Our Valley has a huge resource of edible, medicinal, aromatic and ornamental plants and if tapped properly, we can create a separate economy and attract aspiring entrepreneurs,” he maintained.
Head, Department of Botany, Prof Zahoor Ahmad Kaloo, said that the response to the workshop was overwhelming as the youth showed keen interest in registering themselves for the training.
“Besides university scholars and students, local youth and farmers are also attending the workshop,” he added.
Workshop Convenor, Prof Aijaz Ahmad Wani, said that the government is promoting start-ups in medicinal and aromatic plants, ornamentals, mushrooms, vegetables and other crops on a large scale.
“These agri-startups will certainly provide our youth a new and lucrative avenue of income generation and livelihood earning and will also contribute value addition to future economic growth,” he said.
Director, Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance (DIQA), KU, Prof Manzoor Ahmad Shah, said that the youth need to make informed decisions for securing their future prospect.
“The youth need to understand that distinction between the pursuit for knowledge and the pursuit for skills as two separate things and make decisions accordingly,” he added.
Head, Department of Zoology, Prof Abdul Ahad Buhroo; former faculty, Department of Botany, Prof Zafar Ahmad Reshi, Prof Inayatullah Tahir, Prof Irshad Ahmad Nawchoo attended the inaugural session.
Besides, faculty from the Department of Botany, guests from various departments, scholars and students also attended the function, the release read.