03/09/2026
KVK Samba Organises One Day Workshop on Digital Agriculture.
Samba: Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Samba, SKUAST-Jammu, organised a one-day workshop on Digital Agriculture with the objective of creating awareness among farmers about the emerging role of digital technologies in agriculture and promoting modern, sustainable and climate-resilient farming practices.
Experts Highlight Role of Digital Technologies, Soil Health, Horticulture, Pest Management and Animal Health in Sustainable Farming.
The programme was organised under the direct supervision of Prof. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Prof. Amrish Vaid was warmly welcomed by Prof. Sanjay Khajuria and the entire team of KVK Samba. Addressing the participants, Prof. Vaid emphasised the importance of embracing modern technologies for improving farm productivity, profitability and resource-use efficiency. He stressed that digital agriculture has the potential to transform traditional farming by providing farmers with timely information, scientific advisories, weather-based recommendations, market information and technology-enabled decision-making support.
Presiding over the programme, Prof. Sanjay Khajuria highlighted the importance of integrating digital technologies with conventional agricultural knowledge and locally suitable farming practices. He said that technologies such as mobile-based advisories, digital platforms, remote sensing, drones, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture and digital weather information can play an important role in addressing emerging challenges in agriculture. He encouraged farmers to make greater use of scientific information and institutional support for improving farm incomes and sustainability.
A series of expert lectures were delivered during the workshop covering various important aspects of agriculture and allied sectors.
Dr. Vijay Kumar Sharma, Deputy Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu, delivered an informative lecture on animal health management. He sensitised the participants about maintaining proper health and hygiene of livestock, timely vaccination, disease prevention and the importance of seeking scientific veterinary advice for better livestock productivity.
Dr. Neerja Sharma, Chief Scientist (Horticulture), KVK Samba, spoke on important aspects of horticulture, particularly scientific management of fruit crops and the importance of adopting improved horticultural practices. She encouraged farmers to diversify their farming systems by incorporating suitable fruit crops for enhancing farm income and nutritional security.
Dr. Saurav Gupta, Senior Scientist (Entomology), KVK Samba, delivered a detailed lecture on insect pest management. He highlighted the importance of identifying insect pests correctly and adopting integrated pest management approaches for effective and environmentally safe control. He also stressed the need for judicious and safe use of pesticides and encouraged farmers to give preference to biological and other eco-friendly management options wherever feasible.
A major highlight of the workshop was the detailed presentation by Dr. Ajay Kumar, SMS (Agricultural Extension), KVK Samba, on Digital Agriculture and its Importance. He explained how digital technologies are increasingly becoming an integral component of modern farming. He elaborated on the use of smartphones, mobile applications, digital advisory services, weather forecasting platforms, remote sensing, drones, precision farming technologies, digital marketplaces and other ICT-based tools for making agriculture more efficient and knowledge-driven. He stressed that timely access to accurate information can help farmers take better decisions regarding sowing, irrigation, nutrient management, pest and disease control, harvesting and marketing.
Dr. Shalini Khajuria, SMS (Soil Science), KVK Samba, delivered a lecture on soil health management. She emphasised the importance of maintaining soil fertility and adopting balanced nutrient management practices. She sensitised farmers about soil testing, judicious use of fertilisers, incorporation of organic matter, biofertilisers and other sustainable soil management practices for maintaining long-term soil productivity.
As part of the programme, a large number of saplings of fruit plants, fodder plants and medicinal plants were also distributed among the participating farmers. The initiative aimed at encouraging farmers to adopt farm diversification, agroforestry, fruit cultivation, fodder production and medicinal plant cultivation, thereby creating additional sources of income while contributing towards environmental sustainability.
The workshop witnessed active participation of a large number of farmers and other stakeholders, who interacted with the experts and sought technical guidance on various agricultural and allied-sector issues. The participants appreciated the efforts of KVK Samba in bringing scientific knowledge and emerging agricultural technologies closer to the farming community.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Saurav Gupta, who expressed gratitude to Prof. Amrish Vaid for gracing the occasion as Chief Guest, Prof. Sanjay Khajuria for his leadership and guidance, the participating scientists and experts for their valuable technical contributions, and all the farmers and participants for making the workshop successful.
The workshop reaffirmed KVK Samba's commitment towards promoting digital agriculture, scientific farming, sustainable resource management, diversification and technology-driven agricultural development in the region.
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