ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Kolkata organised a Workshop on ‘Implementable technologies for Chotnagpur plateau region of Eastern India’ at Kalyan KVK, Purulia here today.
The Chief Guest, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) in his inaugural address, said the Chotanagpur region requires farming/production systems that are suited to different toposequences in sloppy terrain. He called for convergence and coordination of various agencies for the development of the Chotanagpur region including State Departments, ICAR Institutes, SAUs, KVKs, Financial Institutions, NGOs, and FPOs. Dr. Pathak stressed that agriculture in the Chotnagpur plateau region needs to be transformed through the reform of policies, institutions, and markets. He urged for integrated farming system with crop, horticulture, animal, fisheries, and agri-enterprise for improving farm income with reduced water and carbon footprint.
Dr. Pradip Dey, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata, and convener of Workshop mentioned that the Chotanagpur Plateau region is a geo-historically unique region that is dominated by a tribal population with diverse agricultural activities. He stressed that the outcome of this workshop will help in the identification and assemblage of doable technologies for the conservation of soil fertility, efficient use of water, and genetic diversity which will further improve agricultural production and uplift the livelihood of the farming community as a whole.
Swami Vaskarananda, Secretary, Kalyan, Purulia and Swami Bhaveshananda, Secretary, Divyayan Krishi Vigyan Kendra spoke about with their connection to the grassroots.
Dr. Swarup Kumar Chakraborty, Vice-Chancellor, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya lauded the effort of organising such a comprehensive workshop and hoped the outcome in the form of a mega project will go a long way for the service to the farming community of the region.
Dr. T.K. Mondal, Vice Chancellor, WBUAFS, Kolkata said that comprehensive development of the livestock and fisheries sector with traceability will help in boosting the farm income of the region.
Dr. Dipak Kumar Kar, Vice Chancellor, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia committed to the university’s involvement, especially through the social sciences sector for the upliftment of the farming community of the region.
The deliberations include an overview and potential of Chotanagpur plateau region of Eastern India, a roadmap of supplying quality planting material for horticulture development, growing citrus and grapes, utilizing new rice varieties for food security, improving farm profitability through animal and fisheries component, empowering smallholder farmers through FPOs, revitalizing lac industry from seed to sale, breaking barriers through integrated farming system.
A panel discussion was also held to focus on the technologies that could be used as well as drawing synergy and resources from different Line Departments, Institutes, SAUs and KVKs for overall development of the region.
A newly developed heat-resistant and highly immunogenic vaccine was released during the occasion. The live attenuated thermostable lentogenic strain ND vaccine does not need the strict maintenance of cold chain facilities, enabling it to be transported to remote village areas for vaccination of the backyard poultry birds. Several publications in local languages for the benefit of farmers were also released.
About 130 participants from Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal including Directors and Scientists of ICAR Institutes, SAUs, KVKs, Officials of Line Departments and progressive farmers participated in the Workshop.
(Source: ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Kolkata)
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