Uttarakhand Governor Dr KK Paul has categorically said that farmers should regard the GB Pant Agricultural University as their place of pilgrimage. The second green revolution should also start from this university. The university must play its role in developing high quality seeds. This mela could be described as an ‘Agricultural Kumbh’ as it brought together so many people related to agriculture. The university’s role in the development of agriculture in the state and training farmers would prove to be a milestone. He expressed this view after inaugurating the four days long All India Kisan Mela and exihibition of Agricultural equipments and items at GB Pant University on Thursday
He called upon agricultural scientists to contribute towards making Uttarkhand a state well-known for organic farming and high quality seeds. Focus should be on research as well as agricultural management keeping in mind the topography and climate in various areas of the state.
Such Kisan melas had great significance for farmers as it brought together entrepreneurs, scientists and farmers and was a platform for exchange of information and views related to agriculture. Farmers could buy high quality seeds, pesticides, agricultural equipment and organic manure. The technical information being provided by the exhibition and also information about agricultural investments would prove beneficial to young farmers.
The university had played an important role in developing seeds and various species of crops, vegetables, fruits and flowers .The joint efforts of the university and Terai Vikas Nigam could go a long way in making Uttarakhand a ‘seed State’. Seeds should be reached to the farmers and efforts should be made by the university to make these seeds popular even in neighbouring countries. He appealed scientists should focus on research of soil so that crops could be grown with minimum of water and manure.
Dr Paul further said that the cultivation of organic crops and medicinal crops could provide opportunities of self employment in the state and strengthen the economy of the state. Uttarakhand should be developed as an Organic Farming State .Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, mushrooms, honey production and food processing needs attention in order to move forward in this direction. There was need to reduce dependence on chemicals and use organic farming to conserve the environment.
Research should be increased in agriculture and he expressed hope that the GB Pant University would play a significant role in making Uttarakhand an agriculturally rich state. On this occasion, the governor awarded farmers from various districts of the state for their excellent work. Among them were Kunwarpal Saini from haridwar, Sanjay Pandey from Pithoragarh, Shekhar Chandra Mishra from Chamoli, Than Singh Chamiyal from Nainital, PC Sharma from Dehradun, PS Bhakuni from Almora, PC Kothari from Champawat, Vimla Devi from Udhamsinghnagar and Kapil Sharma from Rudraprayag. The Governor visited all the stalls at the mela and exhibition.Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mangala Rai, said that we are displaying our technologies through this farmers’ fair and we shall be knowing the farmer’s problems through kisan gosthies being organised in this fair. The research will be conducted on these problems to find out the remedies. He exhorted the farmers to ask as many questions as they can from the scientists to get knowledge about the technologies for getting more production and profit from minimal use of natural resources in this era of global warming.
Earlier, Director Extension Education, Dr. YPS Dabas Dabas while welcoming the participants including farmers, guests and delegates told about the details of this farmers’ fair. At the end of inaugural ceremony, Dr. JP Singh, Director, Experiment Station, thanked all the guests and farmers. He hoped that farmers will have a useful and enjoyable time during their stay at Pantnagar. On this occasion, 9 progressive farmers selected from different districts of Uttarakhand were also honoured.
This four-day seminal event attracts thousands of farmers from U.P., Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra and other states of India besides Uttarakhand. The University has been religiously organising kisan mela twice-a-year as it serves a very useful purpose of providing a platform for interaction between farmers, scientists and representatives of agri-business/agro-industrial firms. All major organisations in farm sector, representing major brands, put-up their informative and imaginative stalls displaying the latest and best in modern agriculture technology. Scores of farmers can be seen going to purchase of seeds, planting materials, fertilisers and chemicals, besides other products.