POONCH: The Department of Agriculture Poonch today organized a district-level mega sensitization and educational workshop for youth under the Knowledge & Management component of Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) 2025–26 and the Jammu & Kashmir Climate Investment Project (JKCIP).
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from 250 individuals, including 87 selected Krishi Udhyamis, members of 10 youth clubs, self help groups and farmers from across the district.
District Development Commissioner (DDC), Ashok Sharma presided over the event as the Chief Guest. A booklet on JKCIP was also released on the occasion.
In his address, the DDC highlighted the pivotal role of youth in nation-building and urged Krishi Udhyamis and youth club members to act as change agents in their respective communities by imparting knowledge gained through such events to the fellow youths and the farming community. He emphasized that JKCIP aims to empower young entrepreneurs, promote start-ups in agriculture and allied sectors and create sustainable livelihood opportunities, encouraging youth to become job creators rather than job seekers through adoption of modern, climate-resilient and market-oriented practices.
Chief Agriculture Officer, Jograj Singh Slathia highlighted the significance of youth engagement in shaping a forward-looking agricultural ecosystem. He urged participants to utilize the training for community development, with a focus on environmental awareness and climate change mitigation. He described the JKCIP project as a transformative step towards integrating innovation, digital tools, and sustainable practices such as hydroponics and precision farming into agriculture.
He informed the gathering that three blocks — Lassana, Surankote, and Mendhar have been selected in Poonch district for the implementation of JKCIP, covering 15,832 households, including 7,441 women (47%), 4,749 youth (30%), and 1,583 members of vulnerable communities (10%). He also reiterated the potential of Mandi–Loran Rajmash, the district’s specialty crop, along with mushroom cultivation, bee keeping and protective vegetable farming aligning with the market demand. “Krishi Udhyamis Youth clubs, FPOs could play a major role in promoting online services, marketing of local produce, plantation drives, waste management and awareness activities related to the project” , he added.
During the event, a detailed presentation on introduction and objectives of JKCIP scheme was presented by the Chief Agriculture Officer. The district officers from allied sectors viz Horticulture, Fisheries and Animal & Sheep Husbandry, Lead District Manager, CSC Manager along with the officers and officials of agriculture department including Sub-divisional level officers and field functionaries also participated in the workshop, delivered lectures and promoted departmental schemes, innovations and best practices from their respective sectors.
The proceedings of the event were conducted by SMS-SDL, Charanjeet Singh Raina.
Farmers from far-flung areas of the district took part enthusiastically, turning the event into a vibrant platform for knowledge sharing, interaction, and capacity building. During the programme, booklets related to JKCIP activities were also distributed among youth clubs.