Army ventures into biotech, horticulture

The Indian Army is now venturing into biotechnology and horticulture sectors by setting up three centres in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

Under the new initiative, which is part of the operation "Sadbhavna" in the areas of Jammu and Kashmir, three Army Bio-Resource Centres (ABCs) are being set up at Leh, Baramulla and Rajouri, with an initial cost of Rs 80 lakh.

For this purpose, the Army has tied up with HESCO, a Dehra Dun-based NGO, which has made its mark in the biotechnology and horticulture products.

"The aim of the programme is to uplift resource-based income generation of the local community along the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir," HESCO Director Anil Joshi said.

To begin with, a 14-member group from the border areas of the state took training in horticulture and biotechnology products at HESCO centres in Dehra Dun and Vigyan Prasth in the Rudraprayag district.

The group including young women and men hailing from far-off areas like Leh, Kargil and Rajouri, were given local resource-based training.

The trained people would work as "resource persons", who in turn would hand over the skills to the local people and Army personnel from border areas, Joshi said.

Under the one-month long programme, HESCO trained these border persons in 22 technologies including composting, value-addition in horticulture and agro-produce, biodyes, greeting cards, incensed materials, utilisation of bamboo and lantana, fisheries and bee-keeping, Joshi said.

The Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) is also playing an instrumental role in this programme, which is already running Women Empowerment Centress (WECs) in these areas.

All of the said persons were selected by the Army, Joshi said.

Stating that 48 percent of the local fruits like apples and apricots get wasted due to various factors like lack of marketing skills, the training is expected to help the local people to make proper utilisation of horticulture products like jam and jelly.

Aamlog, a new fruit has been identified by HESCO in the Kargil area. "We are conducting research on the fruit to ensure its proper utilisation," Joshi said.

Buckwheat is a kind of millet, which is also found in abundance in the Kargil area and which has the potential to sell also as "energy biscuits", he said.