Ludhiana: ‘Time for India's 16K agri scientists to step into fields'
The Union minister for agriculture and farmers welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Thursday, urged India's 16,000 agricultural scientists to step out of laboratories and into fields, identifying real-world issues that merit research.
The Union minister was the chief guest in a special ceremony organised at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAUs) Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Rauni village. The event was organised under the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, an initiative of the government of India, coinciding with World Environment Day. During the event, Chouhan hailed PAU's direct sowing tech as game-changer for natural resources.
The Union minister was accompanied by Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and PAU VC Satbir Singh Gosal.
The event aimed to bridge agriculture policies and innovations with the farming community, creating awareness of new technologies and government schemes.
Chouhan expressed a deep emotional connection with Punjab, saluting its fertile land and hailing its farmers as the nation's food providers. He commended PAU's direct seeding technology for paddy as a 'Sanjeevani' (life-giving boon) for conserving natural resources, especially groundwater.
Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian described the event as a historic turning point for Indian agriculture, emphasising the wisdom inherent in farmers' practices and the need to learn from their environmental stewardship. He drew attention to Punjab's pivotal role in India's independence, food security, and defence, urging the Union minister to prioritise Punjab's agricultural concerns, particularly around stubble management and shifting the wheat-paddy cropping cycle.
PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal described the Abhiyan as a key step in agricultural development, expressing commitment to delivering PAU and GADVASU innovations directly to villages. He invited farmers to share challenges and feedback to align research with ground realities.
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