DG, ICAR Reviews On-Farm Intercropping Demonstrations and Interacts with Farmers and Scientists at ICAR-IIFSR, Modipuram

16 May 2026, Meerut

Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, visited ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (ICAR-IIFSR), Modipuram, Meerut, today to review the ongoing on-farm demonstrations on Sugarcane + Groundnut intercropping systems and interact with progressive farmers and scientists. The visit was conducted in Kushawali and adjoining villages of Sardhana Block in Meerut district under the Western Plain Zone of Uttar Pradesh.

During the field visit, Dr. Jat emphasized that achieving self-reliance in domestic edible oil production is a strategic national priority and highlighted science-based intercropping systems as a key pathway toward sustainable agricultural transformation. He underlined the need for robust technological interventions to enhance oilseed production and reduce India’s dependence on edible oil imports.

Reviewing the ongoing demonstrations, Dr. Jat interacted directly with farmers to assess the field-level performance and practical benefits of the Sugarcane + Groundnut intercropping model. He also outlined an ambitious national vision to expand groundnut and other oilseed cultivation over 1.0 million hectares through integration with existing sugarcane-based cropping systems using resource-efficient approaches.

As part of the programme, the Director General visited ‘Neer Adarsh Organic’, a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) in Kushawali, where he interacted with Shri Vinod Saini and other progressive farmers. The discussions focused on strengthening integrated farming systems to make them more productive, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable.

Technical deliberations during the visit centered on farm mechanization, improved crop management practices, and resilient plant protection strategies to address pest and disease challenges and enhance farmers’ income and livelihood security. Special emphasis was also laid on understanding the role of biological nitrogen fixation through the intercropped groundnut system.

The programme witnessed the participation of several eminent scientists and experts, including Dr. Sunil Kumar, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram; Dr. S. N. Sushil, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow; and Senior Scientist from CIMMYT, along with divisional heads, project officers, and senior scientists from ICAR-IIFSR.

Following the field visit, Dr Jat chaired an interactive review meeting with the scientific, administrative, and technical staff at the ICAR-IIFSR campus. Appreciating the quality of research being undertaken at the institute, he encouraged scientists to align their research more closely with field realities and farmers’ needs to ensure wider adoption and greater impact of agricultural technologies.

The visit reaffirmed ICAR’s commitment towards promoting sustainable farming practices, strengthening integrated farming systems, enhancing rural livelihoods, and ensuring national food and nutritional security through resilient and self-reliant agricultural development.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut)