Jammu, Apr 7 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday inaugurated a ₹5.93-crore Centre of Excellence for Entrepreneurship in Precision Vegetable and Floriculture Farming at Talab Tillo here and stressed the need for climate-resilient agriculture to safeguard farmers’ livelihoods amid erratic weather conditions.
The facility, developed with support from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), aims to provide quality planting material and promote modern farming techniques to enhance farmers’ income, officials said.
Addressing farmers after the inauguration, Abdullah said agriculture has become increasingly challenging due to changing climatic patterns and called for adopting scientific practices, assured irrigation and crop insurance to mitigate risks.
“It is good that we are setting up such centres, but the larger challenge today is the unpredictability of weather. We cannot control the weather, but we can certainly reduce its adverse impact on farmers,” he said.
Highlighting recent incidents of crop damage due to unseasonal weather, the chief minister said the government is committed to supporting farmers through better infrastructure, improved irrigation systems and access to quality inputs.
He also underscored the importance of ensuring high-quality seeds and planting material, saying poor-quality inputs could undermine farmers’ efforts and productivity.
The chief minister directed officials to focus on strengthening irrigation at the grassroots level, particularly ensuring water reaches tail-end areas.
He said similar Centres of Excellence should be replicated across districts to ensure timely availability of quality planting material.
Abdullah also distributed sanction letters among beneficiaries under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) and reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the agriculture sector.
Agriculture Production Minister Javid Ahmed Dar said Centres of Excellence would be established in all 20 districts of the Union Territory as announced in the Budget 2026-27.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani said the adoption of modern techniques would significantly boost the rural economy.
Senior officials and a large number of farmers were present on the occasion.(NVI)
