Srinagar : Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir Friday hosted a competence building workshop, aimed at establishing a robust, credible database for demand and price dynamics in the region’s agricultural economy.
The event was jointly organized by the SKUAST-K’s Institute of Business, Policy and Research (IBPR) and Division of Agricultural Economics & Statistics (AE&S), faculty of Agriculture, Wadura.
The workshop forms a key activity under the MeitY-sponsored R&D project titled, “E-Marketing Ecosystem in J&K,” which is specifically mandated to obtain verifiable data on various demand aspects in relation to price fluctuations.
Scientists from the Division of AE&S, project investigators, and all participating RAWE students attended the session.
Prof Sajad A Saraf of Division of Agricultural Economics & Statistics, FoA, underscored the paramount importance of reliable data in effective decision-making and policy formulation. He highlighted the rapid rise of digital gadgets in daily life and emphasized that young professionals must acquire skills in data collection and processing.
Dr Bilal A. Bhat, Head, Division of Agricultural Extension and Communication, FoAWadura, deliberated on the essential nature of effective communication and keen listening skills, stressing that historical consumer behaviour data will crucially inform the future trajectory of the burgeoning startup culture in the region.
Principal Investigator of MEITY-sponsored e-marketing project provided a comprehensive presentation detailing the urgent need to create a policy ecosystem based on evidence-based inferences, cautioning against the risks of “Miss-fit Policies” resulting from dubious or unauthentic available data sets.
During the session, a detailed insights was given into how SKUAST-K, in collaboration with CDAC Kolkata, will develop an AI-based Electronic Market Ecosystem for the seamless trade of major crops, including Apple, Walnut, and Saffron.
During the interactive session, participants contributed valuable inputs on data sets that could be employed to provide more advanced marketing services to farmers, traders, and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
The goal of establishing a robust, data-based Decision Support System (DSS) and digital marketing ecosystem aimed at empowering farmers and modernizing the agricultural economy of Jammu & Kashmir was reinforced in the workshop.
Participants were also made aware of the upcoming ‘Grand Challenge’, an opportunity to pitch innovative ideas in advanced marketing, robotics, and AI-enabled systems specific to the major crops of the region.