Now farmers identified and recognized for their innovation in agricultural practices will be invited for teaching the students of different colleges of Birsa Agricultural University (BAU).
The announcement was made by BAU Vice Chancellor Dr RS Kureel at the State level workshop on ‘Contingency Agriculture Plan for Jharkhand’ organized by BAU on Friday. He asked the heads of Krishi Vigyan Kendras of all the 24 districts present at the workshop to identify real innovative farmers of their district and send their names with details of their contribution to the university headquarters to share their knowledge, practices and innovative ideas with students in classroom. Language of communication will not be a problem for the farmers because they have to share their out of the box thinking and techniques, the VC added.
Dr Kureel asked the university scientists to go through the draft of new national education policy available on the websites of PMO, union HRD Minister and national education policy and post their suggestions for further modification and improvement in agricultural education, if any, in the draft. He said the government through public sector universities spends about Rs one crore on the B Sc, M Sc and Ph D education of an individual and such persons should introspect what they have returned to the society, state and the country in lieu of the public money invested on his/ her education. He also asked the KVK scientists to work on the strategy of replacing the upland rice area with maize, finger millets, pulses and oilseeds.
Dr AK Singh, Vice Chancellor of Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, Bihar said new crop varieties released by scientists should not be recognized unless it has its presence and impact in farmers’ fields. He stressed that integrated farming system model recommended to farmers must exist in university campus also.
Dr A Wadood, Chairman, Dept of Agrometeorology & Environmental Sciences, BAU said rain deficiency in the month of June and July 1-17 has been 55 and 40 per cent respectively as a result only 17 per cent cultivable area of the state has been covered with crops so far. He advised the farmers to take up maize, pulses, oilseeds in the upland and medium land ecology in place of rice to minimize the losses in the face of monsoon aberrations. Detailed contingency plan will be uploaded on BAU website bauranchi.org soon for the benefit of farmers, policy makers, extension officials and NGOs.Urban Haat soon to come up in city
