Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Anjaw organized a five-day Skill Development Vocational Training Programme under the thematic area “Green Entrepreneurship and Rural Start-ups in Agriculture” titled Sustainable Agriculture with Waste to Wealth Creation at Hoiliang village from 9th to 13th March 2025. A total of 22 women members from Self Help Groups (SHGs) participated in the programme.
        During the inaugural session, Dr. Debasis Sasmal, Senior Scientist and Head, KVK Anjaw, highlighted the importance of rural entrepreneurship among women SHGs and encouraged the use of locally available natural resources for generating additional income.
        Mrs. Pooja Singnale, Subject Matter Specialist, emphasized value addition of locally available fruits and crops such as preparation of pineapple jam, banana chips, king chilli pickle, orange squash, and millet-based products. She also conducted hands-on training on compost preparation using kitchen waste and nutrigarden residues, promoting eco-friendly fertilizer production through waste recycling. Dr. Soibam Peter, SMS (Social Science) demonstrated the cultivation of oyster mushrooms using large cardamom straw as a substrate, presenting it as a viable alternative to paddy straw. As part of the practical session, 34 bags of oyster mushrooms were prepared by the SHG members. Each bag is expected to yield approximately 2.5–3 kg of mushrooms, offering a promising income-generating opportunity for the participants. Mr. Naveen Khoisnam, ACTO (Agronomy) delivered a lecture on the cultivation practices of millet crops, particularly finger millet and foxtail millet, highlighting their nutritional value, climate resilience, and potential for livelihood enhancement. Mr. Satveer Yadav, SMS (Horticulture) discussed the importance of horticultural crops and demonstrated essential crop management practices such as training, pruning, and maintenance to improve productivity and quality of fruits and vegetables.
        On the fifth and concluding day, the programme included an awareness and interaction session on the management and maintenance of mushroom units, composting techniques, packaging and labelling and nutrigarden practices. Participants actively engaged in discussions and shared their experiences from the hands-on sessions conducted during the training. The training programme successfully enhanced the knowledge and practical skills of women SHG members in sustainable agriculture, value addition, and waste-to-wealth enterprises, thereby encouraging them to adopt green entrepreneurial activities for income generation and rural development.