Agriculture next big frontier for youth entrepreneurship: LG

The newly inaugurated facilities include the Unnati Girls Hostel, Centre for AI and ML in Agriculture, the Centre for Mushroom Research and Innovation, the Advanced Sericulture Laboratory, and the Centre for Digital Media and Publication

The Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor, Manoj Sinha, on Friday inaugurated a series of new infrastructure facilities at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu.

Speaking on the occasion, the LG described the additions as more than physical infrastructure, calling them a commitment to the region’s innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and farming families. (HT Photo for representation)

He also addressed the launch of the startup outreach programme under the Jammu and Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP). The event brought together researchers, innovators, young entrepreneurs and farmers from across the Jammu division.

The newly inaugurated facilities include the Unnati Girls Hostel, Centre for AI and ML in Agriculture, the Centre for Mushroom Research and Innovation, the Advanced Sericulture Laboratory, and the Centre for Digital Media and Publication. Speaking on the occasion, the LG described the additions as more than physical infrastructure, calling them a commitment to the region’s innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and farming families.

Sinha drew attention to global examples of technology-driven agriculture, from a dairy innovation hub in the Netherlands that brings together scientists, companies and farmers on AI-based nutrition and animal health solutions, to Israel’s integration of data and smart management across agriculture and dairy, New Zealand’s digital push in animal husbandry, and a Brazilian irrigation startup that turned a farmer’s everyday problem into a scalable solution.

The message from these examples, Sinha said, is that agriculture and allied sectors represent the next major frontier for innovation worldwide.

At the same time, the LG cautioned the youth of J&K against simply replicating foreign models, urging them instead to study their own fields, farmers, climate and local challenges, and to build solutions suited to the region’s specific needs.