At the ongoing Science Congress in Bengaluru, ICAR, Director General Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra told audience at the Farmers Science Congress that there is a paradigm shift from production and nutrition security to doubling of farmers’ income by 2022. Speaking after inaugurating Farmers Science Congress, he said that this shift in thinking was result of a call given by Prime Minister.
Mr Mohapatra said ICAR has developed 56 models of integrated farming in this direction, which will be promoted with NABARD by linking them to the Rural Development programmes. He added that these models are right now being tested on the fields.
Dr. Mohapatra informed that Farmers Innovation Fund and Innovation Centres will be set up to encourage innovations made by progressive farmers. To encourage organic farming, 45 types of Organic Farming systems are developed in niche areas.
In another such decision on Prime Minister’s direction, country has now witnessed a revolution in pulses production. He informed that in the last three years pulses production has increased from five million tonnes to about nine million tonnes substituting imports worth 10,000 crore rupees.
In response to another call of Prime Minister, ICAR is making efforts to reduce the use of fertilizers by introducing Microbial Consortium that promotes microbes in soil, thereby reducing use of fertilisers. In this direction Nano fertilisers and nano pesticides are also being developed.
AIR correspondent reports that ICAR DG Dr. Mohapatra spoke about the post production scenario about the value addition and linkage to the market. In an effort to improve rural bio-economy and attract youth to agriculture a programme named Arya is being implemented. Till now over 5000 youth are brought into this programme in which they are trained to be entrepreneurs and begin a start up.
He informed that 104 such start ups are successfully marketing small millet products and other processed food items. He also said that 215 Agro processing centres were established and linked with Farmers Production Organisation.
The Chairman of Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission Hanumanagouda Belagurki spoke about the need to introduce economy and social sciences as part of agricultural science in the agriculture universities. He also felt that mechanisation must gain more prominence in India. Around 120 innovative farmers from across the country are participating in Farmers Science Congress.
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