RAMBAN, 1 July 2025: The National Congress on Entomology and Emerging Agrotechnologies (NCEEA-2025) concluded on Sunday at the picturesque alpine meadows of Sanasar, charting a strategic roadmap to advance sustainable farming in line with the Viksit Bharat vision.
From June 27 to 29, the congress drew 115 delegates nationwide to deliberate on critical themes, including eco-friendly pest management, climate-resilient agriculture, and region-specific agrotechnologies tailored for India’s diverse agro-ecological zones.
Organised by the Entomological Science Academy in collaboration with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Jammu and IIT Jammu, the event emphasized aligning agricultural research and extension systems with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to foster innovation and rural employability.
In her virtual keynote, Poonam Jasrotia, ADG (Plant Protection & Biosafety), ICAR, highlighted the potential of indigenous hill crops such as anardana, kasrod, kaladi, and potatoes. She called for enhanced pest surveillance, adoption of precision farming, and value-added processing to bolster productivity and farmer incomes.
Delegates put forward recommendations for scaling up biological pest control using local bioagents and encouraging broader adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. Calls were also made to integrate entomology with frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, genomics, and biotechnology, to address emerging agricultural challenges.
Proposals included advancing biotech research to develop stress-tolerant crop varieties, promoting renewable energy-powered Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), and customizing agrotechnologies for districts such as Ramban.
Discussions also focused on strengthening post-harvest value chains, managing threats from invasive species, and conserving regional agro-ecosystems. Experts advocated building collaborative platforms to connect farmers, researchers, and industry players to nurture the next wave of agro-entrepreneurs.
Rakesh Kumar Gupta, President of the Entomological Science Academy, reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to sustainable, technology-enabled agricultural growth in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond.
The event also acknowledged the support of the SKUAST Jammu leadership, the district administration of Ramban, and the hospitality extended by PY Resorts, Sanasar.
Participants departed with a united commitment to transform Indian agriculture through innovative, locally relevant solutions backed by strong policy frameworks and inclusive partnerships.
Image credit: environmentideahirwa.wordpress.com
