PAU Kisan Mela promoting ventures on & off farm

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 14

The two-day Kisan Mela kicked off at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Thursday, with the theme ‘Kheti Naal Saahaaik Dhanda, Parivaar Sukhi Munafa Changa’ aimed at developing entrepreneurial sense and boosting income through on-farm and off-farm ventures. Farmers and their families were drawn by the availability of quality and improved seed as well as planting material, farm literature, and processed products and apparels at the event. An agro-industrial exhibition, live field demonstrations, question-answer sessions and cultural programmes were the other attractions on Day 1 of the mela.

The chief guest, Punjab Agriculture Minister, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, said, “PAU has played a monumental role in steering the Green Revolution and economic growth via the development of quality seed, suitable crop varieties and their matching technologies; fine-tuning the dexterities of the rural community; and flourishing with commitment to support Punjab’s peasants, thus, fostering a prosperous and successful tomorrow.”

Bemoaning the ‘rash’ decision of the Punjabi youth to go to foreign shores by spending hefty sums of money, the minister suggested they should, instead, launch their own enterprises with a relatively small investment of Rs 3-4 lakh. He expressed concern over the ‘pitiable’ condition of the youth who, after migrating to other countries, find it difficult to make both ends meet. He advised the farmers to go in for crop diversification by cultivating pulses and maize, and taking up subsidiary occupations like animal husbandry. To curb pollution, they must opt for in-situ and ex-situ management of crop residue.

Khuddian said the Punjab Government would install 90,000 solar pumps across the state to supply electricity to farmers. Terming the kisan melas ‘vardhaan’ for the farmers, the minister lauded eminent agricultural scientists Dr Gurdev Singh Khush — a World Food Prize Laureate also known as ‘Paddy Daddy’— and Sardar GS Dhillon, PAU alumnus, for donating Rs 3.5 crore and Rs 37 lakh, respectively, to the university to boost agricultural education.

Guest of honour Dr Khush hailed the enthusiastic participation by farmers, farm women and youths in the mela.

In his remarks, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, vice-chancellor, observed the mela had received a good response not only from the farmers of Punjab but also of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Severe water crisis, weather disturbances, environmental pollution and diminishing natural as well as financial resources have prompted experts to give a clarion call for agricultural and economic sustainability, he said.

Dr Gosal urged the farmers to also undertake an entrepreneurial journey in order to achieve overall socio-economic empowerment.

Elaborating on the research achievements, Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research, shed light on the noteworthy developments comprising new crop varieties, namely Pusa Basmati 1847, J 1008 of fodder maize, PCB 167 of bajra and Punjab China 1 of proso millet; food processing technologies such as high protein soy powder and extruded snacks prepared using millets (cookies, cake, muffins, bread, pasta, porridge, rass, pinni, gachak, panjiri, roti, pranatha, flakes, etc); value added flower products; and farm machinery like remote-based Paddy Transplanter and UAV-based drone for spraying. On the occasion, a coffee table book, ‘Skilling Young and Old Punjab: PAU’s Colossal Feat,’ authored by Sheetal Chawla, Assistant Director (Publications), was released.

Six farmers felicitated

Six progressive farmers were felicitated at the mela. Dhana Singh from Ugrahan, Sangrur; and Jagtar Singh from Arayan Wala Kalan, Faridkot, were conferred with the Chief Minister’s Award for excellence in horticulture. Ranjit Singh Bajwa from Fatehullapur, Hoshiarpur, was awarded for making appreciable strides in crop production and subsidiary occupations. Two CRI Pump Awards were presented to farmers Taranjit Singh from Bugra, Hoshiarpur; and Randhir Singh Bhullar from Salana Jiwan Singh Wala, Fatehgarh Sahib, for emerging as role models in farm mechanisation and organic cultivation, respectively.

Gulzar Singh from Beas, Jalandhar, was awarded CRI Pump Award posthumously for adopting water management technologies. Besides, one farm woman, Manjit Kaur from Nila Naloya, Hoshiarpur, was honoured with the Sardarni Prakash Kaur Sra Memorial Award for excelling in entrepreneurship.

Prior to this, Balkar Singh from Sawal, Kapurthala, was awarded the Jathedar Gurdita Singh Mahal Memorial Award during a mela, held at the Regional Research

Station, Bathinda.

Six PAU scientists were awarded certificates for their untiring efforts towards the upliftment of agriculture and allied fields. These included Dr Tarundeep Kaur Dhaliwal, Principal Agronomist; Dr Bikramjit Singh, Associate Director, KVK Amritsar; Dr RS Chhina, Professor of Agricultural Engineering, KVK, Gurdaspur; Dr Rjainder Singh, Associate Director (Seeds); Dr Kulbir Singh, Principal Olericulturist; and Dr Gurupkar Singh, Senior Fruit Biotechnologist.

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