Uttarakhand is blessed with natural resources but this wealth could not get connected with agriculture and economic development, said the vice chancellor of the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Dr Mangla Rai while addressing the toppers conclave at Raj Bhawan on Tuesday.
In his address Rai stressed on a need to make hill agriculture more profitable and informed about ways to achieve it. He said that the States like Maharashtra and Karnataka receive less rainfall than Uttarakhand but both these States are far ahead than Uttarakhand in terms of agriculture produce. Rai said scientific and organic methods are needed to be used in agriculture to increase optimum land utilisation.
Throwing light on ways to make rural agriculture profitable, the VC said that traditional agricultural methods are needed to be linked to modern technique and farmers should be given knowledge about upgraded techniques and high quality seeds must be made available to them.
On hill agriculture to be made profitable he said that more attention should be given to cash crops.
Expressing his views, the founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO) Anil Joshi stressed that ecology and economy must go hand in hand in order to strengthen the rural economy. He said that products made in the region must be given brand names in order to popularise them.
Joshi suggested that more thought is needed to be given on to how local people could be made to create products using local resources. He said he had set up HESCO with this aim in mind and this organisation is working for several years now in Uttarakhand and other States by bringing about rural development by using local resources.
The noted environmentalist called upon the toppers to remain connected to their roots and added that without developing rural economies, no country or state could reach the peak of development. The founder of HESCO said that rural areas could be developed through agriculture and horticulture and there is a need for coordination among knowledge, science, technique and traditional knowledge to improve rural economies and reduce the gap between villages and cities.
The Governor of Uttarakhand Krishan Kant Paul was present during the entire session on the day. The session was attended by toppers of different universities, students of SGRR PG College, secretary to the Governor Arun Dhaundiyal, VC of Medical University Dr Saudan Singh, VC of Sridev Suman University Dr UC Rawat, VC of Kumaun University HS Dhami and UTU VC PK Garg