Rishikesh : Horticulture sector will get a boost, then migration will stop: Subodh Uniyal

Manoj Rautela Reports:

Munikireti/Rishikesh : The Spices and Vegetables Festival organized by the Horticulture and Food Processing, Uttarakhand under the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” to encourage the production of spices and vegetables, concluded with great pomp. After this, the officers of all departments, farmers and various groups present on the occasion including Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal took the blessings by performing Ganga Aarti collectively.

Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal was accorded a rousing welcome by playing more than a dozen traditional musical instruments like Dhol, Damaun and Mashkabeen in the program on the last day of the Spices and Vegetable Festival organized at Purnanand Maidan. The Cabinet Minister congratulated all the officers, farmers and groups on the successful conduct of the programme. He said that this type of program would give a boost to the horticulture sector in the state, which would prevent migration of youth and would help in making the country financially strong. After this everyone participated in the Ganga Aarti organized at Bharat Ghat. On the occasion Municipality President Munikireti Roshan Raturi, Narendranagar Mandi President Veer Singh Rawat, Social worker Chandraveer Pokhriyal, Narendranagar Mandi President Vir Singh Rawat, Crazy Federation President Manish Dimri, Social worker Bachan Pokhriyal, Additional Secretary Dr Ram Vilas Yadav, Director Agriculture Department Dr Parmaram , Director Resham AK Yadav, Managing Director Organic AK Upadhyay, Joint Director Agriculture JC Cam, Uttarakhand Director Horticulture Department Dr HS Baweja, District Horticulture Officer Dr DK Tiwari, Manoj Bisht, Shankar Nautiyal etc. were present.

Session Schedule-

Dr. Ram Bilas Yadav, Additional Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand presided over the technical session organized at the Spices and Vegetables Festival on Thursday. During the session, speaker Aditi Chauhan, who came from New York, threw light on the technical and health benefits of using spices in food preparation through a presentation. Dr. Omvir Singh, Professor, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar delivered a lecture on the topic of harvesting spices and vegetables. Dr. Sunil Pareek, Associate Professor, NIFTEM, Sonipat, Haryana told about entrepreneurship development from vegetable processing. Dr. Deep Narayan Yadav, Head, C.I.P.H.E.T., Ludhiana threw light on the topic of cryogenic grinding of spices for value addition. Dr. Anil Kumar, JRO, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, while presenting a lecture on the topic of value addition and packaging from spice processing, told about strengthening the economic condition of the farmers through value addition.

Dr. Brijesh Kumar Gupta, Deputy Director, State Park, Kashipur, through a lecture on European and foreign vegetable production in Uttarakhand, apprised the possibilities of European and foreign vegetable production in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand. Hema Kashyap, PMFME and Manisha Kaushal told about the development of livelihood opportunities on behalf of the women of hilly areas through value addition from ginger products. Dr. Rohit Bisht, Food Processing Officer, Horticulture and Food Processing Department, Uttarakhand gave detailed information about setting up a micro food processing unit under the Prime Minister’s Micro Food Enterprise Upgradation Scheme. Nidhi Sharma, Dr. Y.S.P.U.HF, Solan, Himachal Pradesh told on the topic of steps towards creating a market for horticulture of ornamental vegetables and spices. Dr. Sweta Navani, State Lead Project Manager, told on the topic of Prime Minister’s Micro Food Enterprises Upgradation Scheme that under PMFME scheme, mainly in the hilly areas of the state, unemployed youths are also self-employed while getting livelihood opportunities by establishing micro-processing units in the hilly areas of the state. Can be given.
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Cultivators were honored on the last day-

In the Masala and Vegetable Festival, cultivators and different groups were honored for their excellent work. In the competition organized in the festival, 64 artisans who displayed excellent products were awarded first, second and third prizes in different categories. Apart from this, 45 artisans for their outstanding contribution in the field of horticulture were awarded with certificates of honor and 492 artisans who participated in the program were also awarded certificates. Along with this, 92 officers/employees of Horticulture and Food Processing Department were given certificates for their cooperation in organizing the program successfully.