Eager to ensure that the volume of agricultural produce in the State substantially increases, Uttarakhand Governor Dr KK Paul has given several important suggestions to GB Pant Agriculture and Technical University, Pantnagar on Tuesday.
Dr Paul said that an advisory body should be set up by the University for the State which would be engaged in preparing detailed analysis of things sub-division-wise and also district–wise. Based on such inputs, it should prepare a macro agricultural development plan for the State and micro agriculture development plans at the district level, the Governor said.
Stressing on the need to reverse the disturbing trend of dwindling food production in the state, the Governor suggested that this national level university would have to focus specially on improving agriculture in Uttarakhand in the current scenario.
He said that the local farmers and district level officials should be given information about the soil analysis being done by the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Mukteshwar for improving agricultural produce. When farmers work in tune with the information their productivity would improve substantially. Such data could be used by the University to give specific advice to farmers, he said.
Referring to the meteorological department’s apprehensions of a weak monsoon this year in the plain areas of the State, Dr Paul said that farmers based in the plains should be provided with seeds of species of grains and pulses that require less of irrigation. “Decks should be cleared from now,” he stressed.
The Governor said that new experiments and research done on improved seeds and soil fertility in the context of the State’s environment should be taken to the farmers by the Government agencies concerned so that the farmers benefit from them. He said internet and other effective tools like video conferencing can be used at fixed times on fixed days of the week on the matter. Besides, he suggested that district level agricultural fairs (Kisan Melas) and camps should be organised from time to time to provide the latest information to the farmers.
The Governor also gave the University important suggestions like the need to set up agro-based industries and those based on horticultural products. This aside, a strong system of marketing of agricultural and horticultural products should be developed, the Governor suggested.