4-March-2024: Piyush Goyal Launches 'e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi', IARI Assam, UP Agro Tech-2024, MFOI VVIF Kisan Bharat Yatra

4 March 2024

• Piyush Goyal Launches 'e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi' Digital Gateway to Transform Agriculture for a 'Viksit Bharat'

  Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Commerce and Industry, and Textiles, Piyush Goyal, launched the ambitious 'e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi' program, which aims to improve the country's agricultural environment. Speaking at the launch ceremony held in New Delhi, Minister Goyal articulated a vision where the agriculture sector stands as the cornerstone propelling India towards 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.

• Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda Inaugurates New Facilities at IARI Assam

  Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda inaugurated the administrative & educational buildings, hostels, and guesthouses for students in the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Assam virtually on March 04, 2024. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a special emphasis on the development of the northeastern region. The central government has worked to bridge the gaps in agricultural development in the northeastern states and has given a new dimension to the development of the region.

• UP Agro Tech-2024: Ramkaran Tiwari Presented with 'Innovative Farmer Award' for Successful Potato Cultivation

  Ramkaran Tiwari, from Etawah District, Uttar Pradesh, has set a remarkable example with successful potato farming, earning him the 'Innovative Farmer Award' at UP Agro Tech-2024 organized by the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture. On March 3, 2024, Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak honoured this progressive farmer for his innovative agricultural work, presenting him with the Innovative Farmer Award. He was awarded a cash prize of Rs. 11,000 and a certificate of appreciation.

• Research Paper Warns Against Hastily Shift Entirely to Natural Farming

  In a collaborative academic paper, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) expressed concerns about the hasty implementation of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in India. Research paper titled 'Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): Implications for Sustainability, Profitability, and Food Security,' sheds light on the complexities surrounding the transition to natural farming methods.

• Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh to Inaugurate 'MFOI VVIF Kisan Bharat Yatra' in Jhansi

  The 'MFOI VVIF Kisan Bharat Yatra', powered by Jain Irrigation System Ltd., is progressively weaving through the heartlands of India. After a successful flag-off in the northern and southern regions, it is set to witness a grand flag-off ceremony for the central and western regions, slated for March 5, 2024, at the Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi. This institution, under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), stands as a torchbearer of agricultural education, research, and extension, making it the perfect backdrop for the onset of this monumental journey.