Garhwal Post Bureau
Pantnagar, 2 Mar: The Department of Agricultural Communication, College of Agriculture, Pantnagar Agricultural University, organised a two-day training programme on February 27-28 on ‘Promoting Horticulture and Medicinal Plant Cultivation for Livelihood Enhancement’ under the Tribal Sub-Plan, funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Scheduled Tribe women from Kulha village in Gadarpur Block participated enthusiastically in this training programme.
Director of Communication, Dr JP Jaiswal, was the Chief Guest. Special guests included Dean of Student Welfare, Dr AS Jeena, In-charge, SAMETI, Dr BD Singh and Professor Dr Nirmala Bhatt. The programme was organized and conducted under the direction of Dr Arpita Sharma Kandpal, Principal Investigator of the Tribal Sub-Plan.
In his address, Dr JP Jaiswal stated that horticulture and medicinal crop cultivation can be an effective means of income generation and self-employment in rural areas. Dr AS Jeena, describing women’s economic empowerment as the foundation of social change, called for self-reliance. Dr BD Singh emphasised the need for market-oriented production and scientific farming. Dr Nirmala Bhatt provided detailed information on the utility, value addition, and marketing possibilities of medicinal plants. Dr Arpita Sharma Kandpal explained that the training aims to ensure a sustainable increase in tribal women’s income by providing them with technical knowledge and practical skills.
During the training, practical demonstrations were conducted along with theoretical lectures, covering nursery management, planting, organic farming, pest and disease control, and post-harvest management. Useful materials were distributed from the project fund. At the conclusion, participants described the training as extremely useful, saying it had provided them with new technical knowledge and confidence. Certificates were distributed to all participants. This program proved to be an important initiative towards the social and economic empowerment of tribal women.
