A “Capacity building programme on ICAR-IIHR technologies” was organized for the officers of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Odisha state from 28^th October 2025 to 1^st November 2025. The programme started with welcome address by Dr. R. Senthil Kumar, Principal Scientist & Head (i/c), Division of Social Sciences & Training. Dr. V. Sankar, Principal Scientist, Division of Social Sciences & Training delivered a brief introduction about the program. The programme was inaugurated by Sri Kalunge Gorakh Waman IFS, Director of Horticulture along with his colleague, Sri Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, Project Director, OIIPC, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Government of Odisha. Dr. Tusar Kanti Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, delivered the felicitation address Further he elucidated the availability of various farmers friendly ICAR-IIHR technologies suitable for Odisha State. All the trainees visited a Nrithyagram, Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, where Dragon Fruit is cultivated in a large commercial scale. During the visit Dr. R. Senthil Kumar, Principal scientist (Hort.), Division of Social Sciences & Training explained about the different varieties and organic cultivation practices to get higher yield and income. Inaugural program was concluded by Dr. H. P. Sumangala, Principal Scientist (Hort.), Division of Flower and Medicinal Crops who delivered formal vote of thanks.

While coming, all the trainees visited a commercial vegetable nursery @ Eklavya Hightech Nursery, Silvepura, Bengaluru and got exposure to various nursery operations and the economics of the nursery business.

Lectures were delivered on various aspects like improved varieties and hybrids and technologies and IPM and IDM practices, post harvest management practices, mobile and web application in Horticulture, urban horticulture, precision farming etc. All the participants were taken in to Post Harvest Lab, RFS vegetable seed unit, fruit crops nursery, BESST HORT, Mushroom Lab, Engineering Workshops, demonstration plots for various fruits, flowers, vegetables and medicinal crops, at the ICAR-IIHR campus. During valedictory programme, Director, ICAR-IIHR, distributed certificates to all the participants along with Arka Seed Kits and requested to all the participants, to layout good demonstration plot for farmers with their respective blocks using ICAR-IIHR vegetable seeds. The program was attended by 22 participants from various districts of Odisha.