Maintaining the agriculture rate is a challenge for the nation, the agricultural scientists need to research new techniques in the agriculture sector to meet the challenge. Chief Minister Harish Rawat said this at the conclusion of the four-day 98th farmers’ fair and agriculture industry exhibition at Pantnagar organised by the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT) on Sunday. More than 10,000 farmers from across the nation visited the fair which had about 600 stalls exhibiting and selling a wide range of articles.
Speaking on the occasion the CM said that considering the importance of agriculture, the policy makers at the Centre and State will have to ensure that the research work in agriculture sector is not hindered by any shortcoming. To make agriculture more progressive is the major challenge facing the agriculture university at present, he said. Rawat said that the area under agriculture has continued to shrink while the level of groundwater is also dropping consistently due to factors like three harvests being reaped in a year. There is need to think collectively to resolve such issues and facilitate increase in agricultural productivity and development of maximum production capacity with minimum water consumption. Various schemes including the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana are being implemented for the development of agriculture.
A cell of senior agriculture scientists should be formed to remain in constant touch with farmers to inform them about latest developments in agriculture. The agriculture university should chalk out its action plan for this, said Rawat. For the benefit of farmers, soil health cards will be made till 2017 for which the full cooperation of the university will also be taken. The CM expressed confidence that the State’s agriculture will also receive a boost with Dr Mangala Rai as the vice chancellor of GBPUAT. He exhorted agriculture scientists to develop new varieties of onion,apples and other vegetables and fruits to enable farmers to increase their yield and prosper. He stressed on the plantation of fodder species including grasses and trees to boost the dairy business along with the taking up of apiculture as an industrial enterprise. Earlier, the CM also inaugurated the Dr Yl Naine examination hall built in the university campus at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the GBPUAT vice chancellor Dr Mangala Rai said that there is still need for much change in the agriculture sector. Farming will have to be made more logical and the skills of farmers will have to be enhanced, he stressed. He informed that the university had been organising elaborate farmers’fairs for many years now. Through such events, the university has been disseminating knowledge and latest information related to the agriculture and related sectors to the public. Keeping the interests of farmers in mind, the university had provided seeds of 28 hybrid crop species to farmers. He informed that hybrid seeds priced at Rs 60 lakh in total were sold during the farmers’ fair.
The CM later gave away awards and certificates to winners of various competitions held during the farmers’ fair. Public representatives and government officials were also among those present on the occasion.