Jharkhand Farmers can now get latest updates on flora and fauna in accordance with the weather. Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) has launched an intensive awareness campaign in the form of bulletin informing farmers on the techniques and precautions to be taken for plants and animals during agriculture through various modes of communication in the state.
Unveiled on July 7, the Agricultural University is disseminating time-to-time bulletin among farmers of all the 24 districts of the state through Mobile Advisory Service, Scientific Centres, All India Radio, Doordarshan and other print media sources.
“Till date we have been informing our farmers only with the help of community Radio Hariyali. Unlike, the radio communication, this awareness is basically drafted to inform farmers on the type of crop and flower suitable in a particular season. Since, it is monsoon at present, farmers are being informed on how they can manage ploughing and sowing during less as well as heavy rainfall,” BAU Extension Education Director RP Singh Ratan who is
coordinating the programme said on Saturday.
The detailed information of this bulletin includes name of the crop and precautions to be taken in the entire process of farming in the fields.
Notably, the five centres of BAU comprising Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Forestry, College of Bio-Technology along with Centre of Agri-Business Management are together contributing in preparing the updated report.
“As of now the programme is at a naïve stage since two bulletins have been published. However, the feedback of farmers is overwhelming. Majority of the Ranchi and Bokaro farmers are calling us frequently and enquiring about commercial vegetation, rice growing and entrepreneurship in the field of agriculture,” Ratan added.
University Official Sandip Shekhar said, “There are chances of continuing the programme in the upcoming seasons also. We hope it will lead to sustainable productivity
of crops.”
According to Shekhar, the bulletin is a part of Publicity Education Directorate. “Jharkhand has a prospective future in agriculture. Both Central and State Governments are emphasizing on improving this respective field,” Shekhar pointed out.
Significantly, Union Budget passed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on June 10 has mentioned the established of Agriculture Research Institute for Jharkhand on the lines of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa.
Highlighting the importance of the bulletin, Ratan said the newly launched programme is promoting the production of Kharif crops. Jharkhand’s total sown area is 26.37 lakh hectares and the average annual production of Kharif crops stand at 42 lakh tonne, claim reports.