GDC Poonch organizes international workshop on Mushroom Cultivation

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 28: An international workshop was organised on `Mushroom Cultivation-Avenues and Challenges’, with a goal to boost the visibility and effectiveness of the newly introduced skill enhancement courses in colleges across J&K.
The virtual workshop was organized by the Department of Botany GDC Poonch, in collaboration with Division of Plant Pathology, FOA Sher e Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Jammu and Attitude Change International (ACI), Darhal Malkan, Rajouri, J&K.
Comm Secretary, Higher Education Department, Talat Parvez was the chief guest and Dr J P Sharma, Vice Chancellor SKUAST Jammu, presided over proceedings of the workshop.
Prof M H Shah, Principal GDC Poonch; Dr Brij Lal Atri, Principal Scientist ICAR, Directorate of Mushroom Research Solan; Dr Sachin Gupta, Associate Professor, Division of Plant Parhology, SKUAST Jammu; Dr Moni Gupta, Associate Prof, Division of Biochemistry Faculty of Basic Sciences SKUAST Jammu; Dr Arvind Kumar (SKUAST – KVK Rajouri); Dr Devender Sharma, Associate Professor, Div of Entomology, SKUAST Jammu and Dr Harvinder Kour, Asstt Professor of Botany, GGM Sc College Jammu, deliberated at length and gave their valuable inputs on the issue of Mushroom Cultivation-Avenues and Challenges.
VC SKUAST appreciated the contributions made by Com Secretary Talat Parvez for transforming the Department of Higher Education, Jammu & Kashmir.
Prof Rani Mughal, HOD Botany, GDC Poonch; Dr Sachin Soni of SKUAST Jammu and Dr Ashiq Malik of Attitude Change NGO played important roles in organising the workshop.
In her concluding remarks, Prof Rani Mughal deliberated upon the need of such workshops for the skill students so that by the time students go out to begin their careers by taking up jobs in private sector or as entrepreneurs they are ready and up to the task before them. She said this e-workshop is a step forward in the direction of upskilling our youth with the newly introduced courses in Agriculture, Horticulture, Food Technology etc. She further said that it would strengthen ties with SKUAST Jammu resulting in understanding and cooperation and good functional relationship with the agriculture university.
There were participants not only from all over India but from across the globe, including China, Nigeria and Canada.