The Integrated Farming experiment at the Agricultural Science Centre in Gariaband district headquarters has become sort of a tourist attraction.
The facility, apart from growing paddy, had been doing livestock keeping besides taking up fisheries, silk production, horticulture among other agriculture related activities.
Notably, the farmers are being taken to the facility to have a look at the Integrated Farming activity. The Agriculture Science Centre at Gariaband is doing demonstration farming of 32 varieties of paddy, eight varieties of mangoes besides other crops. The facility has a fisheries pond and a house to keep livestock, officials stated.
Notably, the Central Government has approved eight new Agriculture Science Centers for Chhattisgarh. With the addition of eight new centers, the total number of Agriculture Science Centers will go upto 28 in Chhattisgarh, Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal informed.
He said that the approval was given on the proposal sent by Chhattisgarh Government. “The State Government for connecting farmers in the State with new techniques of farming is stressing on establishment of Agriculture Science Centre. A proposal in this connection was sent to the Central Government by the State Government,” Agrawal said.
He further informed that Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh during a national symposium held on July 25 and 26 in Patna had announced opening of 109 new Agriculture Science Centers across the country. Out of these centers, 8 centers were approved for Chhattisgarh.
Currently under the Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU), Raipur, 19 such centers are functioning while under Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu University is one such Centre being operated.
The IGAU centers are located in Bhatapara, Gariaband, Rajnandgaon, Jagdalpur Ambikapur, Bilaspur, Kawardha, Raigarh, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Janjgir-Champa, Dantewada, Korba, Kanker, Jashpur, Korea, Bijapur, Balrampur and Narayanpur. likewise, the Centre in Durg is being managed by Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu University.
The Minister further informed that during the national symposium held in Patna, all the Agriculture Science Centers across the nation had displayed works done by them in their respective areas.
The Indian Council of Agriculture Research, New Delhi which is part of the Union Agriculture Ministry has divided these Centers into eight zones and managing them.
It was also decided during the symposium that the number of zones will be increased to 11, he informed.
Notably, the Ambikapur-based Agriculture Science Centre in Surguja district has bagged a National Award from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for the year 2014.
The Agriculture Science Centre has been awarded for its outstanding services in the field of agriculture. The Centre is under the jurisdiction of the Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU), Raipur, according to an official press release issued here on Thursday.
Chief Minister Raman Singh and State Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal have congratulated the farmers , officials of Agriculture Science Centre, Ambikapur and Agriculture University scientists, officers-employees for the prestigious National award.
Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh honoured the Ambikapur-based Agriculture Science Centre at the two-day National seminar of the Agriculture Science Centres in Patna recently under the Zone-7 category.
IGAU Vice-Chancellor Dr SK Patil , Director of Regional Project Directorate Dr Anupam Mishra, Director, Bastar Services Dr MB Thakur and Programme Co-ordinator Agriculture Science Centre, Ambikapur Dr R.K. Mishra received the award .
It may be mentioned here that the Agriculture Science Centre at Ambikapur is operating for the past 20 years at tribal-dominated Surguja district.
The Centre was awarded for encouraging farmers to adopt modern technology in agriculture and taking laboratory to the land in the remote areas of the district.
The IGAU officials said that the Kendra had increased crop output by adopting traditional methods and modern technology. Several Governmental organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations have co-operated with the Agriculture Science Centre in implementing better methods in farming practices.
The farmers have been encouraged to go for pulses ,oil seeds and vegetables’ crops apart from hybrid Makka crops.
A large number of agriculture scientists, Vice-Chancellors of Agriculture Science Centres, various Agriculture Universities and top officers participated in the two-day National Seminar organised in Patna.