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Tribune News Service
Rakhra (Patiala), March 11
The Rakhra Kisan Mela, organised by the Punjab Young Farmers Association, was inaugurated by Dr AK Singh, Director, ICAR, and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, here on Saturday. He laid emphasis on adoption of technologies developed by IARI.
The theme of the mela was ‘Enhancing the income of farmers’. Thousands of farmers from across the state and neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana thronged the fair. Farmers started standing in queues to obtain foundation seeds of PUSA varieties of paddy since morning. They were eager to obtain the seeds of the newly released PUSA Basmati 1728 and PUSA Basmati 1637 varieties. The new varieties are substitutes for the PUSA Basmati–1 and PUSA Basmati 1401 varieties. The new varieties have been made from the diseases of blast and bacterial blight, respectively, by increasing their yield potential. There was a great enthusiasm among farmers for planning varieties since they received a favourable price for their basmati produce this year.
The renowned breeder of Basmati varieties, Dr Ashok Kumar Singh, who heads the division of genetics of IARI, explained to farmers the characteristic of various varieties of basmati.
He said PUSA Basmati 1401 variety of rice has been rated above all from the quality point of view. Rice of Pusa Basmati 1121, which is internationally acclaimed, is being exported to Gulf countries and other nations on a large scale.
He said soon the farmers would get the seed of PUSA Basmati 1718, a bacterial blight resistant rice variety in the genetic background PUSA Basmati 1121. He said 90 per cent area in the GI zone of basmati was grown with PUSA varieties and IARI was known for research in basmati.
Dr Trichona Mohapatra, director-general of ICAR, and secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, GoI, inaugurated the IARI Rakhra Collaboration Outstation Research Centre on the YFA campus here. This is the first centre of IARI set up in Punjab. Farmers will now be able to acquaint themselves with the IARI technologies and PUSA seeds at the Rakhra centre. The testing of various varieties of crops, particularly of rice and wheat, to suit Punjab soil and environment will also be done here.
He said this centre would be instrumental in introducing the ICAR-IARI developed research and technologies to the farmers. The establishment of the centre would facilitate farmers to
interact with ICAR-IARI scientists.
Dr Pushpinder Singh Aulakh, Director, Horticulture, Punjab, said the department had opened a centre of excellence at Kartarpur and Doraha for supplying seedlings and plants of various vegetables, fruits and flowers to the farmers.
He said there was a scope for switching to the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, reducing the area under paddy cultivation which was resulting in the depletion of underground water and causing pollution. Dr Swaran Singh Mann told the farmers about various schemes implemented by the Department of Horticulture. Dr SC Khurana, State Horticulture Consultant, also spoke and stressed upon the importance of vegetable and fruit cultivation for enhancing growers’ income.
Bhagwan Dass, secretary general, Punjab Young Farmers Association, said diversification through cultivation of basmati varieties, fruits and vegetable yield result in enhancing the income of growers and solving the water depletion and pollution problems of the state. He said the government should consider the demand of the farmers for enhancing the MSP of basmati.
Balishter Singh Mann, officiating president of the Young Farmers Association, welcomed the farmers and told them the future programme of the association.
Dr DK Yadav, Assistance Director General (Seeds), ICAR and Head, Division of Seed Science, IARI, and Dr Akshay Talukdar, Principal Scientist and Nodal Officer, Collaboration Outstation Research Centre, were among those others who addressed the gathering.
Fact file
IARI Rakhra Collaboration Outstation Research Centre on the YFA campus is the first centre of IARI set up in Punjab. Farmers will now be able to acquaint themselves with the IARI technologies and PUSA seeds at the establishment. The testing of various varieties of crops, particularly of rice and wheat, to suit Punjab soil and environment will also be done there.
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