States » NorthPosted at: Oct 18 2026 10:16PM


Himachal: India–Nepal agrarian ties deepen as UHF Nauni trains Himalayan nation’s extension officers, farmers

Solan, Oct 18 (UNI) In a significant boost to cross-border agricultural collaboration, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, organised an intensive ten-day international capacity-building programme for agricultural officers and progressive growers from Nepal.
The initiative, supported by the Ministries of External Affairs of both nations, brought together 49 delegates—comprising 44 senior extension officials representing all seven provinces of Nepal alongside five progressive farmers. This marked the third bilateral cohort hosted by the premier hill-farming university to fast-track technical knowledge exchange, sustainable farm practices, and resilient horticulture along the shared Himalayan belt.
Designed around a blend of high-level academic discourse, laboratory work, and extensive field exposure, the curriculum focused on climate-resilient temperate crops—notably high-density apple and walnut orchards—alongside mushroom cultivation, commercial floriculture, natural farming, post-harvest processing, and modern apiculture.
Delivering the valedictory address, Vice Chancellor Prof. HS Baweja highlighted the shared agrarian ecology between India and Nepal, stressing that regional prosperity hinges on technological convergence.
"Adopting scientifically validated farming models is paramount to elevating productivity, commanding better market realizations, and fortifying rural incomes across our mountain belts," Prof. Baweja said.
He urged delegates to look beyond conventional honey production into high-value apiculture enterprises—including royal jelly, bee pollen, and apitherapy—while championing nut crops as a high-return pathway for agricultural diversification.
Dr DP Sharma, Director of Extension Education at UHF, underscored that transferring laboratory breakthroughs to farm gates is central to unlocking rural entrepreneurship. "Scientific orchard management not only enhances per-hectare profitability but also curbs hill outmigration by creating local agro-enterprises," Dr Sharma noted.
To anchor theoretical learning in ground realities, the delegation was taken on extensive exposure visits to premier regional centres, including the Regional Horticultural Research and Training Station at Mashobra, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Kandaghat, and the ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research in Solan.
Lauding the practical framework of the training, visiting Nepali officials observed that the insights gained in temperate fruit management, canopy architecture, and sustainable soil health would directly inform Nepal's grassroots extension strategies, opening a progressive new chapter in bilateral agro-diplomacy.
The valedictory session concluded in the presence of Joint Directors, senior scientists, and faculty members from the Directorate of Extension Education.
UNI AKP SS
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