Jammu, March 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday highlighted the immense potential of agriculture and allied sectors in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the youth to transition from being job seekers to job creators by harnessing innovation and entrepreneurship in the sector.
He said initiatives such as the Jammu and Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP) are playing a crucial role in nurturing a vibrant startup ecosystem and promoting innovation-driven enterprises in the Union Territory.
“The youth must transition from being job seekers to job creators by harnessing innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture and allied sectors in Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said while addressing a startup outreach programme organised under JKCIP at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Jammu.
Emphasising the vast scope of agriculture, the chief minister said that when deciding which industries should be established in the region, agriculture offers the greatest potential for success.
“There is a misconception that Jammu and Kashmir’s economy is driven solely by tourism. When I tell people that in our SGDP agriculture and horticulture are equally significant along with tourism, they are surprised. They have no idea how strong our agricultural ecosystem is,” he said.
He added that agriculture and allied sectors such as horticulture, fisheries and apiculture together form a vast economic network and offer significant opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Highlighting the limitations of government employment, Abdullah told students that not everyone could secure government jobs.
“If I stand up and say that every one of you will get a government job within a year, I will prove myself wrong. The truth is that all of you cannot get government jobs. Some will, but many will not. So what will the rest do?” he asked.
Explaining the region’s economic realities, he said Jammu and Kashmir must build industries based on its existing strengths as it lacks natural resources such as coal, iron ore or oil that support heavy industries elsewhere.
“If we had coal under the ground or iron ore or oil like some other regions, perhaps we could have set up big factories here. But that is not our reality. We will have to build industries based on what we already have,” he said, stressing that agriculture and allied activities offer the most viable path for sustainable economic growth.
The chief minister observed that traditional agricultural practices alone may not be sufficient to sustain livelihoods and called for a shift towards value addition and modern agricultural entrepreneurship.
“There was a time when our youth were deeply connected with traditional farming, but gradually their focus shifted away because agriculture appeared uncertain due to weather disruptions and market challenges,” he said.
He noted that programmes such as the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), JKCIP and Mission YUVA have been designed to transform agriculture into a modern, value-added and technology-driven sector.
“The land that we have will remain limited and agricultural land is shrinking compared to what existed twenty or thirty years ago. The question is how we keep agriculture viable. The answer lies in value addition, innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Referring to dairy production, Abdullah highlighted the immense scope for value addition in the sector.
“In Jammu and Kashmir, we process only about six to seven per cent of the milk we produce. Compare that with Gujarat, where nearly 93 per cent of milk undergoes processing and value addition. When you convert milk into products like paneer or khoya, you increase its value manifold,” he said.
