Critical analyses of the perceptions on SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) have become a fundamental element of multi-criteria decision making for developing wicker handicraft entrepreneurship. The study examined the effectiveness and prioritization of entrepreneur's perceptions towards SWOT categories and factors and provided insights for developing wicker handicraft entrepreneurship in Pulwama district of Kashmir. Data were collected through structured interviews and focus group discussions of 100 wicker handicraft entrepreneurs of 20 villages selected by multi-stage random sampling. Simple descriptive statistics were used for the data analysis. Results showed that the factors like income generation (19.30%) and employment generation (19.00%) were viewed as most important strengths while labour intensive and less remunerative livelihood (18.80%) and seasonal subsistence (18.70%) were identified as main weaknesses. Further, poverty alleviation (20.70%), preservation of traditional art craft (19.00%) and improvement in public-private relations (17.50%) were adjudged as strong opportunities whereas limited marketing facilities (20.70%), lack of co-operative societies (18.90%) and harassment by officials in withies collection (16.50%) were seen as chief threats. The challenges (weaknesses and threats) (50.40%) for wicker handicraft entrepreneurship outweighed the prospects (strengths and opportunities) (49.60%) while the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) (54.80%) prevailed over the external factors (opportunities and threats) (54.20%). F statistics (p<0.05) indicated significant differences between the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats). The results projected the basis to the policymakers to prioritize and address the prominent challenges and reinforce the prospects for conceptualizing, formulating and implementing the strategies for strengthening the wicker handicraft entrepreneurship.

Wicker handicraft entrepreneurship is a unique world-famous small-scale forest-based cottage industry of indigenous people of Kashmir Himalaya which plays a prominent role in livelihood security, socioeconomic development, traditional handcraftsmanship and rural industrialization in the region. The study investigated the economic contribution, income inequality mitigation and determinant socioeconomic factors of wicker handicraft entrepreneurship in Pulwama district of J&K UT. Multistage random sampling technique was employed to select the sample of 100 wicker handicraft entrepreneurs. Data were collected through structured interviews and focus group discussions. Both descriptive and analytical statistics were used in data analysis. Results revealed that collection of withies from Parrotia jacquemontiana, Cotoneaster baciliaris, Indigofera pulchella and Salix spp. was 61.71 t/year for manufacture of 43514 wicker handicrafts/year which generated an income of  5953470/year. Wicker handicraft income contributes 66.97%, whereas farm and non-farm income accounts 23.46% and 9.58% of total household income, respectively. Gini coefficient was 21.85 when wicker handicraft income was considered and 53.14 when it was ignored which indicated that the wicker handicraft income have stronger equalizing effect on local income distribution. Regression analysis showed that all explanatory variables jointly accounted 81.50% (R2=0.815) variation on wicker handicraft income. Among socioeconomic factors, education, family composition, housing status, subsequent occupation and gross annual income were key determinants influencing significantly (p<0.05) the wicker handicraft income. To achieve the socioeconomic development and livelihood diversification objectives, policy must be directed towards the rural industrialization through wicker handicraft entrepreneurship.

People’s perceptions on cultural knowledge of on-farm tree plantation have become fundamental elements of sustainable forest resource management. The study examined the people’s knowledge on cultural practices of on-farm tree plantation and their socioeconomic determinants in rural communities of Gurez Himalaya. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select 337 households from 18 sample villages for field survey. Data were collected through personal interviews administering structured interview schedule and non-participant observations. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Results indicated that majority of the people were belonged to low socioeconomic status class as reflected by their household characteristics. Among the ten selected major cultural practices about on-farm tree plantation the ‘spot weeding’ (WMS, 2.87; priority percentage, 12.83%) was ranked 1st while ‘thinning’ (WMS= 1.31; priority percentage, 5.85%) was ranked 10th. Majority of the respondents (54.88%) had medium knowledge on cultural practices for on-farm tree plantation followed by high (23.78%) and low (21.34%) classes. Adoption of tree plantation, problem faced in tree cultivation, experience in tree cultivation, training exposure on tree cultivation and level of education had significant contribution on people’s knowledge on cultural practices about on-farm tree plantation. The findings suggested that the trainings on cultural practices about on-farm tree plantation is the crucial intervention for livelihood diversification, socioeconomic development and forest conservation; hence, need-based trainings must be planned and imparted to the individuals for improving the tree resource production, harvesting and marketing.

Entrepreneurship on non-timber forest resources (NTFR) is an important source of sustainable livelihoods and income diversification in the Gurez valley of Kashmir. In order to increase the efficiency of NTFR stakeholders, training is indispensable. This study attempts to assess the training needs, suitable training programme and socioeconomic profile of the NTFR stakeholders. Multistage random sampling procedure was used to select 337 households from 18 sample villages for field survey. Data were collected through personal interviews administering structured interview schedule and analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Results indicated that majority of the NTFR stakeholders were belonged to low socioeconomic status class as reflected by their household characteristics. Among the ten selected major thematic areas the ‘commercialization of NTFR’ (WMS, 3.00; priority percentage, 12.87%) was ranked 1st while ‘conservation of NTFR through JFM’ (WMS= 1.68; priority percentage, 7.21%) was ranked 10th. The short duration trainings (1-7 days) (WMS, 3.00) was ranked 1st among the delivery methods followed by the medium duration trainings (8-14 days) (WMS, 2.84; rank 2nd) and the long duration trainings (3-4 weeks) (WMS, 2.79; rank 3rd). The findings suggested that the trainings on NTFR entrepreneurship of stakeholders is the crucial intervention for livelihood diversification, socioeconomic development and forest conservation; hence, need-based trainings must be planned and imparted to the individuals for improving the entrepreneurial productivity, performance and efficiency. To achieve the desired change in the NTFR entrepreneurship, the training needs identified in this study must be given due consideration during designing the training curriculum.

The collection of accessions of Origanum vulgare is an important resource for its conservation and utilization. To explore and collection of the different accessions of Origanum vulgare, an extensive survey was conducted across the Kashmir Himalaya. These exploration trips were concerted in North, Central and South zones of Kashmir Himalaya. The germplasm collections were conducted from late march to mid-May. This extensive survey yielded a total of nineteen accessions from different places; of which 17 accessions were from wild origins and two accessions were from cultivated sources. The germplasms were submitted to the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) gene bank for their preservation and allotment of IC numbers. All the live plants of all the accessions were maintained in experimental plots at the Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-K. These accessions can be used to maintain the species' genetic diversity, improvement of culinary, medicinal, and ornamental qualities, and to ensure its long-term survival.