Srinagar, March 25: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir hosted a high-level interaction today to discuss collaborations in sustainable agricultural practices, international knowledge exchange, and the formalisation of partnerships. The meeting was chaired by Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai and included a distinguished delegation from the OCP Foundation, Morocco, led by Director Hassina Moukhariq, and the ISAP India Foundation, represented by Chief Operating Officer Gaurav Vats.
The discussions centred on the introduction of innovative, sustainable inputs to optimise soil health while reducing environmental damage, transforming rural monitoring and student development, research and development and leveraging of partner organisations’ strengths for furthering the agriculture and welfare of farmers in India, Morocco and other African countries.
A major highlight of the session was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SKUAST-K’s Rural Business Incubation Centre (RBIC) and the ISAP India Foundation. This partnership is specifically designed to enhance field linkages and source real-world problems for startups and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) by leveraging RBIC’s incubation strength and ISAP’s farmer connect.
Speaking on the university's vision, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai emphasized the move toward tech-driven sustainability. “Our vision for SKUAST-K is to evolve beyond traditional boundaries into a global hub for innovation-led, sustainable, and tech-driven agriculture that empowers the grassroots. Through the collaboration with OCP Morocco and ISAP India Foundation, we aim to build a 'bigger umbrella' that integrates high-end research, student exchange, and entrepreneurship to create a climate-resilient economy for Jammu & Kashmir. We seek a partnership where our academic rigor meets OCP’s global expertise and ISAP’s field strength to validate new technologies, like nano-fertilizers and smart inputs, through local trials before they reach our farmers."
Hassina Moukhariq, Director of the OCP Foundation, Morocco, highlighted the potential for "South-South" cooperation. "While we operate in 16 countries, we seek Indian scientific support to transfer adaptable technology to African smallholder farmers. We are here not just to share our expertise in soil health but to learn from SKUAST-K’s successes," she remarked.
Gaurav Vats, COO, ISAP India Foundation discussed the impact of ground-level collaboration. "Our team is already working in five districts on climate-smart vegetable projects. This MoU allows us to marry our field presence with RBIC’s incubation facilities to create self-sustaining FPOs and market linkages," Vats noted.
Prof Haroon R Naik, Director Research, SKUAST-K, underscored the technical roadmap, stating that the university is exploring how OCP’s expertise in "Nutri-crops" and high-efficiency fertilizers like Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) can be integrated into the university’s research mandates.
Prof Azmat Alam Khan, Registrar, SKUAST-K, introduced the SKUAST-K as the third best state agriculture university in the country and highlighted its work under four critical mandates included the recently introduced ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’.
The meeting was also attended by Sujit Sarkar, Director, OCP Support Services; Kush Mehndiratta, Dr Tahir Nazir from ISAP India; alongside the other members of ISAP. CEO RBIC Dr Jameel Ahmad Khan presented the vote of thanks.
