CHANDIGARH: At the Culmination Ceremony of the CII Innovative Farmers Meet in Chandigarh, leaders in the agricultural sector called for policy changes to boost the adoption of advanced farming technologies and enhance farmers' competitiveness globally.
Mr J P Dalal, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Dairying & Animal Husbandry, Government of Haryana, emphasized the need for diversification from traditional wheat-paddy cropping cycles into alternative crops, horticulture, and allied agricultural activities.
He stressed the importance of creating a robust marketing system and improving infrastructure while noting that the government should shoulder the risks associated with transforming agriculture.
Mr. Dalal also highlighted the state government's commitment to expanding horticulture, including a significant collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a multi-million-dollar horticulture supply chain project.
Mr K A P Sinha, Special Chief Secretary – Agriculture & Farmer Welfare, Government of Punjab, echoed the call for agricultural innovation and emphasized government support for essential infrastructure like cold chain and storage facilities to aid farmers in managing their produce effectively.
Dr Shailender Kaur, Director, Horticulture, Government of Punjab, stressed the potential of innovative farming practices such as mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, floriculture, and sericulture alongside traditional farming.
She called for collective efforts to establish crop-specific clusters and develop new seed varieties, ensuring integrated value chains.
Dr Jaswant Singh, Director-Agriculture, Government of Punjab, highlighted the state's adoption of the Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) technique to manage water resources.
Punjab has also introduced Surface Seeder Machinery to address the issue of paddy stubble management while uniformly broadcasting seeds and basal fertilizer during paddy harvesting.
The Confederation of Indian Industry organized a series of Innovative Farmers’ Meets in Haryana and Punjab, attended by over 10,000 farmers.
These events provided a platform for farmers to learn from experts and create mutually beneficial opportunities for all stakeholders.
Readers Comment:
"Ensuring a minimum guaranteed return for farmers in the event of crop failure is not just essential; it's the foundation of agricultural sustainability. If agriculture fails, everything else follows suit." Manoj Kumar, hydroexpert and apple farmer from Shimla.
