Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), Rajouri held adaylong workshop on ‘Apiculture as an Entrepreneurship Development Idea’ onMonday.
This workshop was sponsored by National Mission on HimalayanStudies, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhiand was organised by the university’s Zoology Department.
Vice chancellor of the university, Prof Javed Musarrat stressedupon engaging local communities in the research and development activities forgreater benefits of the society as a whole.
Prof Iqbal Parwez, Dean Academic Affairs while speaking at the occasion highlighted various initiatives of the university. He applauded Zoology Department for taking a lead in bringing academia, community and industry together for greater awareness and economic prosperity of the local communities.
He said that there is great scope of Apiculture in District Rajouri and invited the local entrepreneurs to benefit from the state of art facilities of the Apiculture Centre of BGSBU. Prof Iqbal said that the university is committed towards socio economic empowerment of the local communities.
Ashfaq Ahmad Zarri, registrar of the university said thatbeekeeping has positive ecological consequences. He said that bees play animportant role in the pollination of many flowering plants, thus increasing theyield of certain crops such as sunflower and various fruits. Zarri said thatthere is a need for promoting the local honey at national and internationallevels.
Earlier, Sajad H Parey, the workshop coordinator discussedabout the workshop and briefed the participants about the importance of honeybees in sustenance of the biodiversity in the region. Head department of theZoology AA Shah discussed the role of faculty members of Department of Zoologyin promoting Research in the region.
The resource persons of the workshop included Mohammad Younis Chowdhary, chief agricultural officer, Rajouri, Arvind Kumar Isher, Scientist Krishi Vigyan Kandre Rajouri, Mohammad Sayeem Wani, Assistant Faculty J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Rajouri, Anil Kumar, Assistant Director, Employment and Counselling Centre Rajouri, Abdul Aziz from JK KVIB Rajouri and a successful beekeeper Sheikh Arif Wani.
The workshop was attended by students of different departments, Deans of different schools, Faculty members of different departments and Farmers of different villages of district Rajouri who showed interest in starting the Apiculture as a small skill development unit.