Smart agriculture, natural and protected farming main attractions at Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela; 36 innovative farmers awarded

The ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, organized the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela March 9-11. The theme of the fair was “Self-reliant farmer with technical knowledge”. In the valedictory session, 36 farmers from all corners of India were awarded the IARI innovative farmer award of 2022.

During the fair, nearly 40,000 farmers from different regions of the country participated. They learned about the varieties and technologies of IARI, 100 ICAR institutes and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). IARI gave a live exhibition on drone technology, precision farming, wheat varieties, fruits, vegetables, flowers, different agricultural models and farmer advisory services. About 1500 quintals of Pusa seeds were purchased by the farmers. Seeds of three varieties of Basmati rice — Pusa Basmati 1847, Pusa Basmati 1885 and Pusa Basmati 1886 — were also distributed to the farmers in the fair.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Kailash Choudhary inaugurated the three-day fair in New Delhi. Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, DARE, and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), presided over the function. On this occasion, Choudhary dedicated the Pusa Agri Krishi Haat Complex developed on two acres. Farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) will be able to do direct marketing of their products in the Complex. With this, consumers will be able to buy the products of farmers directly, which will free them from middlemen. There is a provision of 60 stalls, haats and shops in this huge complex to promote farmer entrepreneurship.

Dr Ashok Kumar Singh, Director, ICAR-IARI, said that the main theme of this fair was “Self-Reliant Farmer with Technical Knowledge”. The major attractions of the fair were: smart/digital agriculture, agri start-ups and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), organic and natural farming, protected farming/hydroponic/aeroponic/vertical farming, and advisory for promotion of export of agricultural products. The fair showcased new varieties developed by the institute.

There were four technical sessions on the second day of the fair. The first session on "Digital Smart Agriculture" was presided over by Dr SK Chaudhary, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR. The second session on "Protected, Vertical, Hydroponic and Aeroponic Agriculture for High Productivity and Income" was presided over by Dr AK Singh, DDG (Horticulture Science), ICAR.

The third session on “Promotion of Agriculture Exports for Prosperity” was presided over by Dr Tarun Bajaj, Director, APEDA. Vipin Gupta, Chairman, Alpha Milk Foods, Karnal, gave his insights on “Tapping the potential of dairy exports from India”. The fourth session was on “Organic and Natural Farming”. In this session, progressive farmers Padma Shri Bharat Bhushan Tyagi from Bulandshahr and Shyam Bihari Gupta from Jhansi shared their experiences with all the farmers and scientists.

Two technical sessions were conducted on the final day. The first session on "Innovative farmers’ meet" was presided over by Dr KV Prabhu, Chairperson, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPVFRA). He stressed the synergy between farmers and scientists. He appreciated innovation in agriculture and encouraged innovative farmers.

The last technical session of this fair was on agri start-ups and FPOs. Dr AK Singh, DDG (Extension), ICAR, was the chief guest of the session. He reiterated the benefits of FPOs, especially for small farmers who are nervous about entering the big market and farmers in general. He stressed cluster-based facilitation centres for farmers for helping them in processing and value addition.