With an aim to maintain benchmarking standards in Punjab’s agriculture; keep abreast of the latest water-efficient, climate-resilient crop varieties and advanced agricultural technologies; and address socio-economic uncertainties of the farmers, Mr Arshdeep Singh Thind, Administrative Secretary (Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare), Punjab, visited the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and held constructive deliberations with the senior officials and faculty of the agri-varsity as well as the state farmers.
While having a round of the exhibition, put up by different departments and units at PAU, Mr Thind had a keen peek into the genesis and organizational set-up of the University; landmark crop varieties of wheat, rice, maize, cotton, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, flowers and agro-forestry; plant protection as well as production technologies; water conservation, soil health management and paddy residue management technologies; improved agronomic practices and organic farming methods; technologies relating to agro-processing, food science technology, food and nutrition, and microbiology; skill development trainings; development of agri-business models; farm literature and use of ICT and AI tools; as well as economics of Punjab farmers and farming. Besides, he also had an interaction with the agricultural biotechnologists and the zoologists of PAU.
In his remarks, lauding PAU for “amazing work and beautiful infrastructure,” Mr Thind said that this visit catered to make the financial and technical evaluation of the ongoing research, academic and extension programmes at the University and take a stock of farmers’ agriculture-related problems for their timely redressal. Offering extra help for desirable results from PAU’s hard work, he observed that the State government was looking forward to the future roadmap to evolve something meaningful for the farmers. During interaction with the PAU VC and senior officials, Mr Thind listed the projects which could be funded by RKVY-DPR. The list encompassed projects on climate-resilient agriculture, horticulture, seeds, marketing and post-harvest, pest management and pesticide control, soil nutrient management, agricultural mechanization, and agricultural waste-to-wealth projects. Further, while giving impetus to the amplification of employment in the rural areas through setting-up of agro-processing complexes, Mr Thind stated, “We want to strengthen local infrastructure and benefit local people. Focus should be on outcome instead of output.” Elaborating, he called for fortifying the research on Bt cotton, and advised economic stimulation by leveraging the contribution of the PAU alumni for the student-exchange programme.
The Director of Research Dr AS Dhatt spotlighted the research achievements and challenges, making a call for strengthening the research system to sustain the production and productivity through the adoption of less water requiring crop varieties, maintenance of good soil health, meeting of fertilizer requirement, saving of water, no stubble burning, scaling-up of agro-processing and marketing of products, and by providing a leg-up to the agrarian economy.
Explaining the successful outreach of the extension scientists across the state, Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, dwelled upon the timely technology dissemination, and skill development trainings by PAU and its Krishi Vigyan Kendras, leading to the timely solution to the farmers’ problems, promoting the agri-businesses of the rural and urban populace, and catapulting their finances for the stable livelihood.
Presenting farming-related concerns, Punjab farmers urged for shifting the transplanting date of paddy; checking the supply of spurious vermi-compost; and addressing the canal water woes, fertilizer shortage, subsidy issues on crop residue management machinery as well as marketing issues of fishery, beekeeping, and home-made food products, prepared by the self-help groups.
Dr Vishal Bector, Associate Director (Institutional Linkages), coordinated the programme and proposed a vote of thanks.
On the occasion, Dr Gosal felicitated Mr Thind with a memento and presented him a set of two coffee table books “Farmers-Scientists’ Evergreen Bond: PAU’s Colossal Feat” and “Skilling Young and Old Punjab: PAU’s Colossal Feat.”
Later, Mr Thind visited GS Khush Institute of Genetics (to have a look at Speed Breeding facility), Agro-Processing Complex, Farm Machinery Research Centre, and research fields at PAU.