KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA (KVK) KINNAUR
Sharbo PO Reckong Peo District Kinnaur (HP) INDIA
About KVK Kinnaur
Introduction
Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kinnaur, having headquarters at Reckong Peo, was established in 1995 by ICAR, New Delhi under the administrative control of Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, HP. The KVK is dedicated for strengthening transfer of technology to the farming communities of district Kinnaur with the main objective to promote cultivation of high value cash crops like temperate fruits, off-season vegetable crops, increasing area under oilseeds and pulses. Specialised horticultural ventures like cultivation of exotic vegetables, mushroom production, bee keeping, cultivation of medicinal plants etc are also emphasised upon for enhancing the income of peasantry of the District.
The key extension education programmes include on-farm testing, front line demonstration of novel and improved agro-technologies; training on various aspects of horticulture and forestry for increasing productivity and self-employment; exhibitions; publication of literature for farmers; and real time farmer advisories based on location and crop specific needs. Being a district level extension education organisation, this KVK caters the technical and capacity building needs of farming community, extension personnel and other stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in agriculture and rural development. KVK also plays a key role in providing the quality seed and planting material of improved varieties of potential crops of the District and other vital agro-inputs. In addition to farming, KVK organises various educational and awareness programmes for overall social upliftment of the society.
National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project
Mandate
- Facilitation and update of the extension officers/functionaries with emerging advances in horticulture/agricultural and allied field research and developments.
- Organization of short-term and long-term training programmes/vocational trainings in horticulture/agriculture and allied fields for the farmers and rural youths for bringing higher farm productivity and self-employment.
- Organization of 'Front-line demonstration' on various crops for demonstration and adoption of improved farm technology.
- Identification of location specific technologies for developing sustainable land use systems through conducting 'On-farm testing (OFT)' trials.
Mission
Krishi Vigyan Kendra is a project of ICAR for testing and transfer of the agricultural technologies to bridge the gap between the production and productivity and to increase self- employment opportunities amongst the farming communities. In order to achieve the objectives, the KVK has to carry out activities as under in order to fulfil its mandate:
- To organize vocational training programmes in agriculture and allied enterprises
- On farm testing (on farmers' field) in crop production, horticulture, livestock production, fisheries etc.
- Frontline demonstrations on major cereal crops, oil seeds and pulses and other enterprises related to agriculture, and
- In-service training of field level extension officials
Location & Map
The Regional Horticultural Research and Training Station is located at Sharbo, which is about 1 km from Reckong Peo, the district headquarters of Kinnaur. Reckong Peo is situated on the bank of river Sutlej in the vicinity of holy mount Kinnaur Kailash. It is about 225 km from the state capital Shimla and connected through NH-5.
Kinnaur district is a mountainous area, ranging in altitude from 2,320 to 6,816 metres above mean sea level with a temperate climate due to its high elevation, with long winters from October to May, and short summers from June to September. It lies between 31o 05' 55" and 32o 5' 20" north latitude and 77o 45' 0" and 79o 10' 50" east longitude. The inhabited regions are mainly the valleys on the bank of river Sutlej and its tributaries Baspa, Spiti and many rivulets running into it from both of its bank. The lower parts of the Sutlej Valley and the Baspa Valley receive monsoon rains. The upper areas of the valleys are characterised with dry temperate like climate experiencing minuscule rainfall owing to being a rain-shadow region. The challenging topography of the district is reflected in forms a tough and rugged terrain comprised of narrow valleys in-between steep and high mountains of Zanskar, Greater Himalaya and Dhauladhar ranges.