The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA), a flagship initiative jointly led by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Rural Development, continues to create meaningful impact in Shopian District.
The campaign is being effectively implemented by ICAR and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to enhance farmer knowledge and capacity in scientific agriculture, livestock, and fisheries practices.
On the sixth day of the campaign, over 400 farmers from the Kanjiullar, Ramnagri, and Zainapora blocks actively participated in interactive sessions and demonstrations held by three multidisciplinary expert teams, led by Dr. Shugufta Parveen, AARC Pahnoo; Dr. Zaffar Afroz Badri, Head, KVK Shopian; and Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad Ganie, KVK Shopian.
The teams visited nine villages and held field-level discussions covering Soil health management and balanced fertilizer application, best practices for Kharif crops, establishment and maintenance of high-density apple orchards, scientific orchard management, spray scheduling, and use of drones in agriculture etc.
As a part of the outreach, vegetable seedlings were distributed in Saidpora Bala, further supporting diversification in kitchen and commercial gardens.
During feedback sessions, farmers praised the VKSA initiative and recommended few things like establishment of advanced soil testing labs at zonal level, inclusion of apple crops in insurance schemes, implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for apples, strengthening of quarantine checks for imported planting material
The enthusiastic participation and collaborative atmosphere highlighted the effectiveness of direct scientist-farmer engagement, reinforcing VKSA’s commitment to empowering farmers with actionable knowledge.
The campaign will continue in various parts of Shopian district until June 12, 2025, aligning with the broader vision of Viksit Bharat through inclusive agricultural development.