Kharif Kisan Mela-2023 at ICAR-CSSRI

1st March 2023, Karnal

The ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal organized the Kharif Kisan mela on the occasion of its  55th Foundation day today.

Shri Dinesh Kulkarni, National Organizing Secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh inaugurated the Kisan Mela. He urged the farmers to remain in close contact with the scientists for enhanced farm profits and to adopt sustainable crop intensification practices to enhance crop yields while arresting land degradation and saving water. He spoke about the merits of Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Natural Farming. He reiterated that CA is a promising approach to farming that offers a range of benefits for farmers such as improved soil health, reduced labour and fuel costs, improved biodiversity etc. He added that Natural Farming can help in mitigating the impact of drought, reduce the pressure on water resources and promote resilient and sustainable food systems. He said that the government has initiated many programs to fast-track the development and extension of farmer-friendly technohigh-yieldingyielding varieties, processing and value addition, reform of agricultural markets, and infrastructure development enabling doubling the farmers’ income.

  

Dr. T. Mahapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) and Dr S. K. Chaudhary, DDG (NRM, ICAR) were the Guests of Honor.

Dr Mahapatra lauded the efforts unleashed by CSSRI in reclaiming the salt-affected lands and the tireless efforts showcased by the scientists under the stewardship of the Director. He also stressed the need for farmers to embrace sustainable agricultural practices.

Dr Chaudhary urged farmers to remain connected with CSSRI to reap the benefits of the land reclamation technologies and salt tolerant varieties developed by the Institute.

Dr. Gurbachan Singh, Former, ASRB Chairman, and Shri Aditya Dabas, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Haryana were also present and addressed the farmers on the importance of adopting salt-tolerant varieties in augmenting crop yield.

Earlier, Dr. P. C. Sharma, Director, ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal, in his welcome address, briefed him about the objectives of the Mela. He also highlighted the role of CSSRI in reclaiming technologies and developing salt-tolerant varieties of wheat, rice, mustard, chickpea, lentil and especially, Basmati CSR 30 in making Haryana a leading state in export of Basmati rice.

About 1500 farmers from villages adopted under MGMG and other areas, school children, and about 300 women farmers/SHG also, participated in this Kisan Mela.

The Mela showcased improved technologies for salinity management, crop diversification, integrated farming, horticultural crops, agroforestry and milk production.

A total of 21 innovative farmers from villages adopted under MGMG and other stakeholders were also felicitated on this occasion.  

The Kisan Mela was followed by the celebration of the Institute’s 55th Foundation day.

The Chief Guest, Dr. T. Mahapatra applauded the ICAR-CSSRI for the development of various reclamation technologies, new varieties for different climatic eco-regions, and other initiatives.

The Guest of Honour,  Dr. S. K. Chaudhary acclaimed the institute’s progress in recent years in addressing the changing climate issues and sustainable goals through various approaches and encouraged the staff to step forward to meet the need of the hour.

(Source: The ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal)