The scientists of the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT) will have to develop new techniques and superior quality seeds of various crops in order to make mountain agriculture more productive and profitable. Uttarakhand Governor Krishan Kant Paul said this at the inaugural function of the 100th All-India Farmers’ Fair and Agro-Industrial Exhibition-Kisan Mela on the university’s main campus in Pantnagar on Monday.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor exhorted agriculture scientists to make group visits focused on varied issues to the remote areas of the State, establish communication with the farmers there, learn about their problems while also taking their suggestions along with studying the specific conditions, based on which the research and extension works should be facilitated. He said that the farmers will have to be encouraged to consider and adopt aspects of modern farming. It is only through such efforts that agriculture in the mountainous areas can be made profitable, he said.
“The purpose of agriculture should not be limited only to the cultivation of food grains and increasing the yield of crops and will also have to be focused on developing such crops which are also beneficial to the health. It is essential to develop high level protein crops that have a positive effect on the health. Facilitating this also requires consistent research on varied crops and seeds. All of our research and efforts should be focused on facilitating the production of such food items which are nutritive, cheap cost and easily available. We also have to ensure research on diseases-resistant varieties and adopt the same so that the productivity of the food grain is not affected,” said the Governor.
Among other issues, the Governor also lay emphasis on the cultivation of apple, dry fruits including walnut, medicinal and aromatic plants and high quality mountain crops in addition to the development of high yielding varieties of sugarcane which require lesser water for producing higher yields,”, said Paul. He also stressed on the need for developing such new varieties which can help in minimising the effect of the climate change phenomenon.
Greeting the farmers and commending the organisers, the Governor expressed hope that the availability of wide range of improved variety seeds, agriculture equipment, related articles, techniques and knowledge about varied aspects will benefit the farmers and help them further increase agricultural productivity. The governor also felicitated a total of 10 farmers selected from different districts of the state for excellence in work.
The university vice chancellor J Kumar said that the first Kisan Mela held in 1965 turned out to be such a success that since then the university has been organising this event twice a year till date. He said that the agriculture and allied sector in the current times is facing various challenges including climate change and the increase in number of small and marginal farmers. The small and marginal farmers will have a bigger role in efforts towards facilitating food secutiry. Considering this, research and technological development in agriculture and allied sectors should be based on their requirements, added the university vice chancellor. Apart from farmers from various parts of Uttarakhand, farmers from various Indian States including Maharashtra, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and others are also stated to be among those vising this four-day long event, said university officials.