Our food self-sufficiency and SKUAST (K)

Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave, eats a bread it does not harvest, and drinks a wine that flows not from its own wine-press, says Khalil Gibran.
Since the immemorial times Kashmir has predominantly been an agriculturist country, according to Walter R. Lawrence in his book “the Valley of Kashmir”.
Agriculture is a type of cultivation that is used to produce food and the products associated with it. Over the past decade agriculture of the state continues to be in decline. Its contribution to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen by 8 per cent.
In the recently concluded assembly session, JK Minister for agriculture has expressed his anguish over the shrinking state agricultural land.
According to the report submitted by the Agriculture department, Jammu and Kashmir the state has lost 10 lakh kanal of agriculture land to non-agriculture purpose in the last ten years because of non-implementation of the land conversion law.
Kashmiris according to Marion Doughty, she writes in her book, Afoot through the KASHMIR VALLEY, “The Kashmiris are great connoisseurs in rice, and even while in leaf they will distinguish between the sixty odd varieties grown in the valley, and when well enough off to do so, will be particular to the sort they prefer for their food, as they are knowing their choice of drinking water. The red varieties are decorative in cooking, but not so good as white, and there are an infinity of degree in both.”
Before the land Revenue Settlement 1887 land has no value and after this it was eagerly sought by all, cultivation has extended and improved, many reforms were made in agriculture production. Subsequently government has established a Food and Supplies department in Gulabgagh Srinagar for ensure the smooth supply of food grains to those residents of Srinagar having no agricultural land of their own. The government used to procure the food gains from the cultivators and was supplied to the city dwellers on the concessional rates in the local parlance.
Every year before making the supply to the people the quality of the grain was checked by non-other than himself by the Maharaja. And in case it was not fond good for consumption there were orders for burning these food grains then and there.
Even up to recent times the people of the valley were averse of using any agricultural product that was not produced locally and these products were then known as Punjabi Rice, Punjabi eggs and Punjabi hens.
The agricultural scientists all over the world are trying their best to produce more and more on the available fields.
In this changing global scenario Jammu and Kashmir besides being having its glorious agricultural past history is no exception, it has also began to pick up the momentum. So to give the boost to its agricultural production the Jammu and Kashmir government has established Government Agriculture College, at Wadura in Sopore in the year of 1960 after its successful achievements in the field of agricultural sector the government has subsequently felt the need for establishing an university that would meet the need and basic requirements of agriculture.
In 1982 the government established an agriculture university under the name ofSher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology (J&K).
Since then it has kept trying to facilitate the research in the various fields of agriculture Science, never ideas were explored, it catered all the needs of the farming community of the J&K state. It has also the reputation of producing eminent scholars in the field of agriculture science, it produced good administrators and other personalities in civil service and corporate world.
Notwithstanding its achievements in the various fields of agricultural research social sector, it was not given any good environment to have a sigh of relief as in the year of 1997-98 it come under the axe of regional bias which has forced the government of the time to hewed it into two separate entities like SKUAST (J) and SKUAST (K).
The SKUAST (K) requires large area of land as the trial fields, it needs libraries, laboratories, irrigation facilities, good pastures for its livestock products.
It requires pounds and water for its aqua produce. SKUAST (K) was never given the support it needed to illustrate its potential in the field of agricultural science.
Though the promise was made by the government that it would provide the university substitute of land in SagamLarnoo but no transfer of land was made there. Then assurance was given that substitute of the land would be provided in Ganashpora, that too has not materialized. Now it is said that the land would be provided in Seer Salaia but virtually that too has not yet been transferred to Rice Research Station Khudwani. Similarly, a large portion of the land of Mountain livestock Research Institute Mansbal is under the occupation of security forces.
No doubt, agriculture is considered one of the pillars of financial solidarity in the major economies in the world, but horticulture being a form of agriculture has a good prospective to grow as a separate entity especially in Kashmir.
SKUAST (K) is still going through its initial stages of development it has not achieved the mark it deserves, it has the potential to grow as world class university but it seems that it does not have proper support to utilize its full potential. A big applause should be given to the members of governing body especially Vice Chancellor, Scientists, teaching and non-teaching staff for making this year’s gala Kisan Mala ( Grand farmers fair) a great success.
In the university stalls of various agricultural products were laid which besides including various qualities of agricultural, horticultural, aquaculture, apicultural, floricultural, sericulture products forestry plants poultry birds, fish. There were also stalls of various farm equipments, machinery, and tools the agricultural engineers have devised for the farming community.
The university campus of Shalimar was abuzz a people from all walks of live thronged to purchase these products, experts were available to give on spot opinion to farmers related to various agricultural issues. The SKUAST (K) still needs much more support from the government for its development.
(Author can be reached at: younis.2007@rediffmal.com)