Latest news with #RamnathThakur
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Focus on farmers prosperity, UP minister urges agri scientists
1 2 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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unfriendliest Countries in the World, Ranked BigGlobalTravel Undo 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 appreciated ISARC's efforts in offering scalable and eco-friendly farming solutions suitable for regional conditions. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Grow heat-tolerant varieties, UP minister urgers farmers
1 2 Varanasi: As part of Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan 2025, Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Ramnath Thakur, participated in a farmers' dialogue programme organised by the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) at Paniyara village on Wednesday. During the farmer dialogue, the minister emphasised that scientists should conduct research keeping farmer welfare in mind. He added that farmers trust scientists' advice and scientists are working hard to develop new technologies for farmers through dedicated research. Need is to reach the technologies to farmers and motivate them to adopt them. He also urged scientists to develop new heat-tolerant varieties. The minister inspected products displayed by FPOs and farmers at an exhibition in which prominent institutions such as IIVR, Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Renew Power took part in the programme that was attended by Sanjay Kumar, director of National Seed Research Institute, distinguished progressive farmer Padma Shri Chandreshkhar, village head, regional public representatives, Naveen Singh, in charge of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and senior officials from state agriculture department. The minister also inspected the paddy field demonstration of the direct seeded rice method implemented by IRRI at farmer Lallan Dubey's field in Paniyara village. DSR is a sustainable scientific method that helps save water in paddy fields while increasing production and reducing costs. The minister honoured five selected farmers and provided Digital Soil Health Cards to 10 farmers to help them get instant information about soil quality. At IIVR campus's 'agricultural waste management unit', Thakur planted a sandalwood sapling as part of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. Dr Sanjay Kumar Singh, deputy director general (horticulture), ICAR, also planted a tree alongside. During dialogue with progressive farmers and FPOs, the minister gathered information about IIVR's role in the nationwide Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. Director Rajesh Kumar said that under IIVR's leadership, in coordination with KVKs and state govt's agriculture department, scientists completed dialogue with over 52,000 farmers across six districts in 13 days, which continues unabated. The director also briefed the minister about farmers' problems gathered from scientists. Major issues addressed included crop damage from nilgai, water crisis, pest management, lack of market access and non-availability of quality seeds. The minister directed quick solutions to these problems.
