The Division of Fruit Science in collaboration with ACRA, Dhiansar SKUAST-Jammu, under the leadership of Professor B.N. Tripathi, Vice Chancellor, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, and the guidance of the Director Research, organized a one-day training-cum-awareness programme on the “Potential of Dragon Fruit Cultivation in Jammu Region” under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). The event was held at the Advanced Centre for Rainfed Agriculture (ACRA), SKUAST-Jammu, Dhiansar, and coordinated by Dr. Arti Sharma, Professor, Division of Fruit Science, and Principal Investigator of HADP-RAD-Dragon Fruit, Project No. 15 on “Rainfed Area Development”. The main objective of this training was to promote dragon fruit cultivation as a potential income-generating and sustainable crop for farmers of the Jammu region, particularly under rainfed conditions.

The training programme began with a welcome address by Dr. Sheraz Mahndi, Incharge, ACRA, Dhiansar SKUAST-Jammu, who highlighted the importance of promoting climate-resilient crops and appreciated the efforts of the Division of Fruit Science in guiding farmers toward innovative horticultural ventures.
Dr. Parshant Bakshi, Head, Division of Fruit Science, SKUAST-Jammu delivered a comprehensive lecture on scientific dragon fruit cultivation practices and shared his experiences earned on cultivation of dragon fruit during his visits to different foreign countries . He encouraged farmers to adopt this high-value crop to diversify income sources and improve livelihood security
Dr. Arti Sharma explained the procedures for planting material selection, training and support structures, nutrient and irrigation management, and strategies for achieving better yield and quality. Dr. Neeraj Gupta, Professor, Post-Harvest Management, delivered an informative session on the post-harvest handling and value addition of dragon fruit. She discussed storage, grading, and marketing practices and demonstrated the preparation of various value-added products, including juices, jams, and dried chips. Dr. Sonika Jamwal, Chief Scientist, ACRA, Dhiansar gave lecture on plant protection in dragon fruit and Dr. Deepji Bhat, Professor, Division of Fruit Science, SKUAST-Jammu was also present, he gave practical demonstration on planting of dragon fruit. Dr. Sumit Bura, Young Professional and Mrs. Aditi Sharma, Ph.D. scholar, Division of Fruit Science were also present.
Dragon fruit plants were distributed to the farmers and programme concluded with an interactive session where farmers actively engaged with experts, followed by a practical demonstration on dragon fruit planting and orchard management.