Bandipora, July 14: Director Extension, SKUAST-Kashmir, Prof. Raihana Habib Kanth, concluded a three-day visit to Gurez Valley on Tuesday, reviewing ongoing agricultural interventions and interacting with farmers, farm women and budding entrepreneurs across Bagtore, Gurez and Tulail.
During the visit, she monitored and reviewed the Front-Line Demonstrations (FLDs) and On-Farm Trials (OFTs) being implemented by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Gurez during 2026-27. These included wheat demonstrations of the SW-03 variety, supplied through the National Seed Project (NSP), SKUAST-Kashmir, covering more than 70 hectares and benefiting around 700 farming families across Gurez, Tulail and Chakwali, the last village of the Tulail region.
Prof. Kanth also inspected the Potato Seed Village at Badugam, Maize Village at Tarbal and Buckwheat Seed Village at Dangan in Bagtore to assess the progress of seed production initiatives.
She said that under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai, KVK Gurez has been directed to intensify efforts for the revival of traditional heritage crops and the introduction of innovative agricultural technologies to enhance productivity, create new income opportunities and improve the livelihoods of tribal farming communities.
Appreciating the work of KVK Gurez, she said the centre had made significant progress in achieving its targets and was steadily moving towards excellence in agricultural extension and farmer outreach.
Highlighting the significance of women in agriculture, Prof. Kanth noted that the United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Women Farmer (IYWF-2026). She said SKUAST-Kashmir, ranked among the country’s leading agricultural universities, remains committed to promoting gender empowerment through reducing farm drudgery, strengthening women’s participation in farm decision-making and enhancing their social and financial security.
As part of this initiative, fifty tribal farming families, the majority of them women from the remote Banjran area of Bagtore Block, received high-quality agricultural inputs free of cost under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP-ICAR).
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to KVK Gurez for its continued support and efforts to improve farming practices and strengthen the livelihoods of the farming community across Gurez Valley.
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