Rooftop Gardening & Vertical Farming Methods Need Attention, Stresses BHU Vice-Chancellor

The 30th Regional Annual Workshop of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Uttar Pradesh was held on Friday. This workshop was organised by ICAR-Agricultural Technical Application Research Institute (ICAR-ATARI) in partnership with the Institute of Agricultural Sciences at BHU.

Prof Panjab Singh, Chancellor of Rani Laxmibai Central Agricultural University and former Vice-Chancellor of BHU, inaugurated the three-day workshop. Prof Singh emphasized the need to explore new areas of agriculture, such as rooftop gardening and vertical farming.

He expressed concern over the stagnation in the agricultural sector and stressed the importance of improving farmers' conditions. Prof Singh underscored the necessity of disseminating technology to address these challenges effectively. He stated that to safeguard our health, it is necessary to transform agricultural production.

He emphasized that promoting the cultivation of millets and coarse grains should be given priority. Prof Singh also mentioned the government's encouragement of drone usage in agriculture and the significance of seed production programs for attaining self-sufficiency. SK Dubey, Director of ICAR-ATARI, informed the audience about the current status of KVKs in the state. Currently, there are 89 functioning KVKs across nine different agro-climatic regions in UP. Dubey emphasized the vital role played by KVKs in eradicating hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Ranjay Kumar Singh, Assistant Director General (Agriculture Extension) at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, stressed the importance of analyzing the success factors of various flagship projects implemented by the Government of India in Uttar Pradesh. The state has excelled in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem production.

Speaking at the event, KK Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology in Meerut, highlighted the development of tele-agriculture, which aims to provide KVK services to farmers in remote areas. AK Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology in Kanpur, celebrated the progress made in the field of foodgrains, transforming India from a net importer to an exporter.

Distinguished guests, including US Gautam, Deputy Director General (Agriculture Extension) at ICAR, Prof VK Shukla, Rector of BHU, and Prof Yashwant Singh, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences at BHU, also addressed the program, sharing their valuable insights.

As a token of appreciation, Padma Shri awardee farmers Chandrashekhar Singh, Sethpal, Yashkendra Singh, Ramamurthy Mishra, Shivkumar Maurya, Amarendra Singh, and Ram Kirat Mishra were felicitated during the event, recognizing their significant contributions to the agricultural sector.