India is a farmers’ centric country and farmers are crucial for the prosperity of the country: Shri Narendra Singh Tomar

Yeh Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela nahin, Yeh Mela hai hamare Kisanon aur Krishi Vaigyanikon ke Dilon ka Mela: Shri Kailash Choudhary

ICAR-IARI organizes Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela - 2021

25th February, 2021, New Delhi

“The ICAR scientific community and farmers should work harder together to make the county self-sufficient in essential food crops production”, said Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare today. The Union Minister was addressing the inaugural session of “Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela - 2021” being organized at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s Mela Grounds, New Delhi from 25th to 27th February, 2021.

ICAR-IARI organizes Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela - 2021

Shri Tomar accentuated on promoting the concepts of organic farming and integrated farming on a larger scale. This, he stressed would help to make the farmers of the country to be self-reliant. Citing the examples of Soil Health Card, Kisan Credit Card, etc., the Union Minister also highlighted the various farmers’ friendly and beneficial schemes that have been initiated by the Central Government. Shri Tomar regarded the farmers’ contribution as inevitable in the overall development and prosperity of the country. He urged for organizing the farmers’-scientists’ interactions to enable the farmers to be aware about the new and latest agricultural technological developments. Highlighting about the Farmers’ Producers’ Organizations, the Union Minister also regarded the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela - 2021 as a perfect platform for enabling the exchange of various crucial ideas and technologies between the farmers and the agricultural scientific community.

Citing the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela - 2021 as “Yeh Mela hai Dilon ka Mela”, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare stressed that the occasion will provide the farmers with a chance to get apprised about the various new and latest technological advancements made by the ICAR scientific community. The Minister emphasized on the promotion of cold storage and warehouses practices among the farmers to retain the nutrition of the crops for longer periods of time. “With the farmer getting apprised about the newest and improved varieties of seeds, the agricultural production itself gets enhanced”, said Shri Choudhary. He also highlighted about the Government of India’s various schemes and the setting-up of around 10,000 Farmers’ Producers’ Organizations.

ICAR-IARI organizes Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela - 2021

In his address, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) urged the agricultural scientific community to work in a way to make the farmers of the country to be self-reliant. The Director General stressed on maximizing the use of the new technologies that will enhance the production. Dr. Mohapatra encouraged the farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) that will enable to have improved production. He also highlighted about the release of 17 biofortified varieties by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in the Year - 2020. The DG urged to increase the landholding approach that will help to make the country prosperous.

ICAR-IARI organizes Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela - 2021

Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary (DARE) & Secretary (ICAR) along with the senior officials of ICAR were also present during inaugural session.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr. A.K. Singh, Director, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi briefed about the Mela.

The three-day Mela will display the live demonstration of Rabi crops, protected cultivation of vegetables and flowers, exhibition and sale of farm equipments developed by ICAR-IARI and other Institutes and private companies, sale of seeds and plants of improved varieties, free testing of soil and water samples, etc. The participating farmers and the visitors will be provided with the free health check-up during the Mela.

The occasion also marked the release of ICAR-IARI’s various Publications by the dignitaries.

A total of 5 fellow farmers were awarded during the inaugural session of the Mela.

Around 35 Innovative Farmers will also be felicitated for their inevitable contributions during the three-day long Mela.

(Source: ICAR-Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture, New Delhi)