
Agri scientists to guide farmers from today
Dharwad: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Krishi Vigyan Kendra and University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, will jointly launch Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) in 100 villages of Dharwad taluk from May 29 to June 6.
The abhiyan will be launched at Kurubagatti village on Thursday.
VKSA is a 15-day pre-monsoon nationwide campaign launched by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to empower the farmers. During the campaign, the agri scientists will visit the farms in villages ahead of kharif season and help them with scientific knowledge, modernised farming practices, equipment and inputs suiting the local conditions.
Director of Extension, UAS, Dharwad, Professor DN Kambrekar said the VKSA is designed to bridge the gap between research institutions and grassroots farming communities. "The campaign is remarkable in its scale and coordination. Around 2,000 expert teams, comprising agricultural scientists, field officers, and progressive farmers, have been deployed across the country. Each team is responsible for conducting three farmer interaction sessions per day, aiming to reach over 10 to 12 lakh farmers daily.
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By the end of the two-week campaign, 1 to 1.5 crore farmers across more than 700 districts are expected to have benefitted," he said.
The campaign in Dharwad district will have two teams involving the scientists from KVK, scientists from nearby ICAR Research Institute (Main Agricultural Research Station) and from Agriculture, Horticulture and Veterinary departments. They will move each day to cover at least 6 villages covering 1,200 farmers a day, where farmers from same village and neighbouring villages will join. The campaign ensures field visits, method demonstrations, group discussions and experience sharing by successful progressive farmers.

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