Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2020, conducted by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute at the Mela Ground of ICAR from 1st- 3rd March with the theme of ‘Agricultural Technologies of Pusa Institute for achieving Sustainable Agricultural Development Goals’ concluded on an eventful note yesterday. Several ICAR Institutes, State Agricultural Universities, private agencies, Voluntary Organizations, and innovative farmers put up 270 stalls and displayed their technologies and products.
During this mela, seeds worth Rupees 45 lakhs were sold and under One Health Checkup program, 700 registration were made including advisories, lab test, and eye checkups. About eighty thousand farmers across the country visited the fair and gained useful and advanced knowledge and information. Five farmers were awarded ‘IARI Fellow Farmer Award’ and 39 Progressive farmers with ‘IARI Innovative Farmer Award' which include women farmers.
Kailash Chaudhary, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GOI, and Chief Guest of Valedictory session emphasized on the need to work for the farmers in doubling their income by 2022. He asked farmers not to be impatient as the government is with them.
"The government and scientists will support you from time to time with new technologies," he added. He reiterated the central role of new and innovative farm technologies in doubling the income of farmers.
He said modern technologies and crop varieties must reach to farmers without any time lag and must be demonstrated on farmers’ fields for winning the confidence of farmers. Chaudhary said the government is working towards increasing the usage of technology at the hands of the farmers under various schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Soil Health Card Scheme, Organic Agriculture and Traditional Agriculture Development Scheme (Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana), in the light of doubling farmer’s income by 2022.
Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Ayog appreciated the organizers for this wonderful arrangement of the Mela. The huge seed sale in three days was another point to be noted, as per him. The field level success of IARI technologies is proved by the demand of these from far off places. He urged the gathering to prepare for changes in agriculture to keep pace with the changes happening all over the world.
Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR delivered the valedictory address and congratulated all the awardees farmers and said that these farmers are an inspiration to us and requested them to share their journey and motivate the fellow farmers. He congratulated farmers and scientists for record production of agricultural and horticultural crops this year. He also suggested to invite agriculture students from all over India in exposure visit of this mela and to take their opinion about it. He urged the authorities to increase the demonstration of the latest technologies like the use of Drone, ICT and sensor-based technologies in the next mela. He also appreciated the role of Pusa Institute for providing good quality and high yielding crop varieties across the country and congratulated for the grand success of this fair.
Dr. A. K. Mishra, Chairman Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, New Delhi pointed out the deteriorating perception about agriculture as a career option with passing time and praised the government endeavors to reverse the trend. He also pointed out the need for collective action in farming for better marketing, input purchase and availing institutional facilities. He informed the gathering about better progress of farmers with the adoption of integrated farming approaches in natural calamity and problem soil prone areas. The importance of livestock along with agriculture for better income and environmental sustainability, need for organic farming for better income were also some points of his discussion.
Dr. Ashok K. Singh, Director, ICAR-IARI welcomed the dignitaries and awesomely congratulated all the awardee farmers and also thanked them for their contributions towards agricultural development and food and nutrition security in the country. Director, IARI complimented scientists and staff of the Institute for the grand success of the event and also appreciated farmers for their keen involvement.
The program was concluded with a formal vote of thanks proposed by Dr. J P Sharma, Joint Director (Extension).
(Source: Media Cell, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi)
