Olive Work shop Inauguration at ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture

Two-day workshop on “Olive Research and Development in India” jointly organized by Oilseeds Division, Department of Agriculture and Corporation  & Farmers Welfare and ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture Srinagar (October 24-25, 2017) was inaugurated on 24th October, 2017 at ICAR-CITH, Srinagar.

Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers welfare in his inaugural address, emphasized the role of research and development for combating the challenges faced the farmers. He said India is importing about 68% of cooking oil and thus there is the challenge for farmers and scientists to decrease the import of cooking oil and make the availability of the cooking oil sufficient to feed the nation. It is challenge for scientists to produce the quality planting material and work on different research aspects of olive for making it a success story , he added. He said India has a vast potential for olive cultivation which need to be tapered by the joint efforts of scientists and farmers.

Shri Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister of State for Transport, Revenue, Public Works, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Agriculture Production, J & K also graced the occasion.

Dr Desh Beer Singh, Director, CITH, Srinagar briefed on research and development done by the institute on olive and also imposes the possibilities of olive cultivation in other parts of the country.

Dr W. S. Dhillon, ADG, Horticulture, ICAR, New Delhi in his remarks gave detailed information on the horticulture production and potential in the country. He emphasised upon the need to production of quality planting material in olive for large scale production and popularization.

Shri Dalgit Singh Chib, Vice Chairman, Kisan Advisory Board, J & K, Prof. Nazeer Ahmed, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST (K), Shalimar, Srinagar, Dr Rajbir Singh, Director ATARI, Ludhiana, Dr A. A. Sofi, Former Director ICAR-CITH, Srinagar, Dr Anupam BARIK, Additional Commissioner (OS), DAC&FEW, New Delhi also graced the occasion.

Officials from SKUAST (K), Srinagar, IARI, New Delhi, State Horticulture Department J& K, State Agriculture Department J & K, participants and farmers from various states like Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu,  Jammu and Kashmir etc. also participated in the event.
(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture Srinagar)