
Focus on farmers prosperity, UP minister urges agri scientists
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Varanasi: Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers' welfare Ramnath Thakur concluded his two-day visit to Varanasi on Thursday as part of the ongoing Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, a nationwide campaign to promote sustainable agricultural practices and advanced technologies.
During the concluding function held at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Kallipur, the minister urged agricultural scientists and officials to focus on farmer prosperity by reducing farming costs and working towards the goal of doubling farmers' income. He emphasized the need for communicating the latest agricultural innovations to farmers in a language they understand — directly in their fields.
Addressing a gathering of farmers, the minister highlighted that sowing rice during the Rohini Nakshatra is considered auspicious and leads to better crop yields due to favorable climatic conditions.
The campaign witnessed active participation from farmers across the region. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticulture), ICAR, New Delhi, directed officials to act firmly against the use of adulterated seeds and chemicals. He also stressed promoting diversified farming, including fruits, vegetables, pulses, oilseeds, animal husbandry, and fisheries.
Colonel Bijendra Singh, Vice Chancellor of Acharya Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, highlighted that Uttar Pradesh's agricultural productivity lags behind states like Punjab.
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He advised farmers to adopt practices such as timely sowing, field leveling, correct seed rates, and incorporating green manure crops like dhaincha and sunhemp to restore organic matter in soil. Water-saving techniques like sprinkler and drip irrigation and mulching were also recommended.
Additionally, beekeeping was encouraged to boost crop yields by 15–20%.
As part of the visit, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute – South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), organized field visits to demonstrate Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technology and other climate-smart agricultural innovations.
The minister visited the ISARC exhibition stalls, where he was briefed on climate-resilient rice varieties, rice-based nutritional products, and farmer-friendly technologies tailored for small landholders.He appreciated ISARC's efforts in offering scalable and eco-friendly farming solutions suitable for regional conditions.
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