30th Zonal Workshop of KVKs of ICAR-ATARI Jabalpur

19th August 2023, Bhopal

30th Zonal Workshop of KVKs of ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Jabalpur (19th - 21st August 2023) was inaugurated by Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR) here today.

In his inaugural address, he applauded the work of KVKs and said the recognition of the work of KVKs by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi showed the importance of the KVK system in the country. He emphasised that the KVKs are the face the Indian agricultural development and reflect agriculture science and technology. Dr Pathak mentioned that private stakeholders want to work with KVKs and KVKs have to take benefit of these linkage with clear objective and vision. He said a developed India can be only possible through developed agriculture which is not possible without the development of KVK system.

  

Dr. Anupam Mishra, Vice Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Imphal briefed the establishment process and growth of the KVK system since its inception. He said that self-sufficiency in oilseed can be achieved by CFLD oilseeds by demonstrating improved production technologies like CFLD pulses.

Dr. Girish Chandel, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur emphasized that market intelligence is required to sell farmer produce at good prices to get higher benefits and urged that KVKs should also focus on that particular area. He said digital agriculture is the need of the hour and KVK should work on digitization and barcoding of farm technologies.

  

Dr. P. K. Mishra, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, and Dr. S. P. Tiwari, Vice Chancellor, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Jabalpur also spoke on the occasion.

Dr. Udham Singh Gautam, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension) said the KVKs will celebrate its golden jubilee next year, and remodeling and restructuring of the mandates, and objectives is necessary. He emphasised that the KVKs should work as a single window system and one-stop solution center for farmer's problems by adopting proper feedback mechanisms. He urged that each KVK develop a model village that is sustainable and replicable to the whole district and adaptable to the farmers easily

Dr. Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management) said KVKs should also focus on fisheries and animal husbandry as alternative sources of income among the farming community and said that the KVK may identify non-descriptive breeds of cattle.

Dr. S.N. Jha, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Engineering) said that agricultural mechanization is an important component in doubling farmer’s income as it plays a key role in the reduction of the cost of cultivation.

Dr. P. Das, Former Deputy Director General (Agril. Extn) said location-specific technologies with interdisciplinary work is required to overcome challenges, biophysical validation and socio-economic eligibility of farm technologies.

Dr. R. K. Singh, Assistant Director General, (Agril. Extn) emphasised data management of KVKs activities, work on market information system to fetch good prices of farm produce, and reorienting the future work plan on ICAR flagship programmes for the benefit of farmers.

Dr. C. R. Mehta, Director, ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal said that agricultural mechanization has a key role in doubling farmers' income.

Dr. S. R. K. Singh, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh presented work done by KVKs in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and a future work plan in his welcome address.

More than 250 participants from KVKs, ICAR Institutes, SAUs, farmers attended the workshop.

(Source: ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes, Jabalpur)