Regional Farmers Fair to be Organized at ICAR in Varanasi from Feb 3-5
GG News Bureau
Varanasi, 3rd Feb. The Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) in Varanasi is organizing a three-day Regional Agricultural Fair at the Shahanshahpur campus from 3rd to 5th February, 2024.
The fair will be attended by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister of Uttar Pradesh Surya Pratap Shahi as the chief guest.
The fair aims to promote human health and farmer prosperity through advanced agricultural practices, including agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, advanced cultivation of vegetables, polyhouse, high tech nursery, organic farming, and processing.
Technical sessions will be held on topics such as value addition, agricultural mechanization, drones, and pest and disease management, where agricultural experts from across the country will interact with the farmers.
The fair is being organized in collaboration with the Association for Promotion of Innovation in Vegetables, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the State Government, and government and private establishments.
The main attraction of the fair will be the exhibition and sale of vegetables, as well as agricultural inputs and implements by various organizations. Dignitaries from the state and central government, universities, ICAR institutes, agri-business institutes, and various companies, along with more than 5,000 farmers from 6 different states, will participate in the three-day event.
Dr. Behera, the Director of IIVR, highlighted the record production of food grains and horticultural produce in the country in 2022-23, which has made India self-reliant in food production and enabled the export of agricultural products to foreign countries. However, he emphasized the need to address issues like climate change, storage, marketing, processing, and self-employment in agriculture for future food and nutrition security.
The IIVR was established in Varanasi in 1999 to promote systematic vegetable research in India. It is the only institute dedicated solely to vegetable research, focusing on developing new improved varieties of vegetables, cultivation technology, and effective pest and disease control. The institute has developed 76 open-pollinated and 12 hybrid varieties of vegetables, as well as producing seeds of improved varieties.
The technologies developed by the institute are shared with farmers through demonstrations, seminars, training, and farmer fairs. The Kisan Fair is a significant effort in this direction, and Dr. Behera encourages farmers in the region to participate and gain knowledge about advanced agriculture through the various sessions at the fair.
Comments are closed.