Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec. 4: A three-day online training programme on “Packages and Practices of Major Crops for Andaman & Nicobar Islands’’, organized by the ICAR–Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI), concluded today with active participation and positive feedback from officials of the Department of Agriculture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration. The programme was held from December 02–04, 2025 through a virtual platform.
The training was organized under the guidance and leadership of the Dr. Jai Sunder, Director, ICAR–CIARI, and supervision of Dr. Raj Narayan, Principal Scientist & Head, and Dr. P. K. Singh, Principal Scientist & I/C, as Organizing Secretaries. The Course Coordinators for the programme were Dr. Ajit Arun Waman, Dr. Pooja Bohra, Dr. Prabhu P., Dr. Y. Rama Krishna, and Dr. Santosh Kumar.
Over three days, 11 lectures were delivered by a team of experts and resource persons from ICAR–CIARI and KVKs. The topics covered included improved crop varieties, production technologies, pest and disease management, soil and nutrient management, package of practices for major vegetables, fruits, spices, cereals, and strategies for climate-resilient agriculture in island conditions. The Resource Persons included: Dr. Raj Narayan – Vegetable Science, Dr. P. K. Singh – Plant Breeding, Dr. Ajit Arun Waman – Spices, Dr. Puja Bohra – Fruit Science, Dr. Santosh Kumar – Sr. Scientist & Head, KVK Nicobar, Dr. Prabhu P. – Economic Botany & PGR, Dr. Y. Rama Krishna – Agronomy, KVK South Andaman, Dr. Puneeth P. V. – Vegetable Science, Dr. Mohit Kumar – Plant Pathology, Ms. Sushma – Horticulture.
A total of 75 participants, including Agriculture officials and field-level workers from different districts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the programme. The participants expressed high satisfaction with the quality of lectures, relevance of training modules, and interactive discussions. Participants shared feedback appreciating the clarity of technical content, usefulness of field-oriented recommendations, and the applicability of demonstrated practices in the island’s agro-climatic conditions.
The valedictory session witnessed an Organizing Secretary’s Report presented summarizing session-wise highlights, resource person contributions, and major suggestions from participants for future training needs. The remarks from senior officials, including the Director, CIARI and Joint Directors, Agriculture. They commended the participants for their active engagement and encouraged them to disseminate the knowledge at the grassroots level. The three-day programme concluded with appreciation to ICAR–CIARI for its continued efforts toward strengthening capacity-building initiatives in the Union Territory. The training is expected to significantly contribute to improved crop production, sustainable agriculture, and enhanced livelihood opportunities for farming communities across Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Dr Jai Sunder, Director, ICAR-CIARI, in his concluding remarks stressed upon location and resource specific development/refinement and transfer of package of practice and made available in both print as well as electronic form to the growers. He further, emphasized on conducting practical oriented trainings in phase manner for more effectivity and to develop more talented and skill-oriented work-pool. Such practical oriented training always upscale and updates the knowledge and skill ultimately the efficiency of the participants in better and more effective ways.