The Orissa Krushak Samaj (OKS) observed the World Food Day on October 16 here with a farmers’ seminar and a farmers-scientists interaction.
There were also exhibition stalls put up by the ICAR and the OUAT. The 37th volume of the OKS’ souvenir was unveiled by Dr BK Das, Director, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal, who as chief speaker.
Prof Surendranath Pasupalak, Vice-Chancellor, OUAT, was chief guest; Dr JM Kataria, Director and ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, Bareilly, guest of honour. They along with Dr Jitendra Kumar Sundaray, Director, ICAR-CIFA, Bhubane4swar, and Dr Khageswar Pradhan, former VC, OUAT, and president, OKS World Food Day Committee, inaugurated the stalls and addressed the farmer delegates.
Popular farmers of Odisha and eminent agriculture scientists were felicitated for their contributions to agriculture.
OKS Chairmanand Bharat Krishak Samaj Vice-chairman Dr PC Mohanty presided over the meeting. The guests elaborately discussed on the theme of this year’s World Food Day “Change the future of migration, Invest in food security and rural development”.
They said that due to not getting remunerative prices of food grains, lack of proper planning for food security and distribution and lack of rural development, many farmers are leaving farming and migrating elsewhere. This trend should be stopped and farmers should be given all support to adopt new technologies for more production from less land.
They also said the Central and State Governments should take effective steps to encourage farmers in their occupation.
If farmers do not get proper price of their produces and facilities for storage system, they would resort to migration in larger numbers. This is not a good sign for the future of the State and the country, said Dr PC Mohanty.
OKS Coordinator Dr BK Das welcomed the guests and farmer delegates and Bharat Krishak Samaj Council Member Gopinath Mishra offered a vote of thanks. About 700 farmer delegates from all over the State attended the event and voiced their demands for fulfilment by the State and Central Governments.