Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh today said that a total of 3,000 cattle breeding centres will be set up to promote indigenous cattle and Jharkhand will be converted into an organic State by 2028 because only cow-based farming can ensure sustainable soil health and enhance nutritional content in farm produce.
The Minister, who was Chief Guest of the three-day Agrotech Kisan Mela at Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), inaugurated the fair here on Saturday and said that the phenomenal growth in agriculture registered in the last four years was a result of combined and dedicated efforts of farm scientists and farmers and support of the State government.
Singh said that Jharkhand is changing its image from mineral reach State to exemplary performance in agriculture as according to the Niti Ayog’s report it has registered 19 per cent growth in agriculture sector during last four years which is highest amongst the 29 states of the country as per the report of Niti Aayog.
“Jharkhand has also been selected for Krishi Karman Award of 2018 by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare for record increase in production of rice. Earlier, this State was given Krishi Karman Award for in 2012-13 for performance in pulse production,” he added.
Welcoming the guests, BAU Vice Chancellor Parvinder Kaushal said that all the 24 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of the State have been asked to adopt at least one village of their area for development as model village by implementing the recommendations enumerated in the strategic document prepared by the Jharkhand State Coordination Committee, for Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022. He said diversification towards high-value crop was a must for increasing farmers’ income at a faster pace.
Five farmers honoured on the occasion for innovative practices included Savita Devi of Balumath, Latehar, Sukhdev Maharaj of Ghatshila, East Singhbhum, Baijnath Oraon of village Ekamba, Kanke, Rajkishore Mahto of Nawadih, Lohardaga, Krishna Kumar of Angada, Ranchi and Rita Devi of Gola, Ramgarh.
The mega event has been organized in collaboration with Jharkhand-based ICAR institutes such as Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums, Namkum, Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Garhkhatanga, Namkum, National Bureau of Plant genetic Resources, Ranchi, ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Research Centre Ranchi, Plandu and Central Rainfed Upland Rice Research Station, Hazaribagh.
The academic programmes, technologies products and services of BAU and research institutes have been displayed in 11 thematic stalls entitled integrated farming system, crop production and diversification, post harvest technology and value addition, natural resource management, organic farming, ICT, marketing and agribusiness management, secondary agriculture, KVKs of Jharkhand, livestock management. Besides, 100 commercial stalls have also been put up with their products and services.
