Mega Input/Kit Distribution-cum-Awareness Programme under SCSP

31st January 2024, Kalyani, Nadia

A Mega Input/Kit Distribution-cum-Awareness Programme under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan was organized by the ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Kolkata, today.

The Chief Guest, Dr. Pradip Dey, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata, emphasised the need for such programmes aiming towards livelihood upliftment of the scheduled caste community and to address the emerging problems of the farmers to provide better return. He urged the farmers to adopt proven technologies for increasing farmers’ income, respond to food and nutritional security and gender responsiveness during Amrit Kaal. Dr. Dey, called on the `KVKs to support entrepreneurship in rural areas and handholding young people for transition from being job-seekers to job-givers.

Dr. Pintoo Bandopadhyay, Dean Extension Education, BCKV, highlighted the need for organising such programmes under the changing agricultural scenario.

Prof. Gautam Saha, Vice-Chancellor, BCKV University, urged to expand natural farming programs with the use of modern technologies like artificial intelligence and sensor-based drones for rapid plant stress detection. He also emphasized the importance of weather based advisories for addressing emerging problems.   

Prof. Jayanta Tarafder, Director, Research, BCKV, briefed about the recommendations including varietal development, production and protection technologies for achieving food and nutritional security.

Registrar, Director of Farms, Dean, Faculty of Horticulture of BCKV as well as several Heads of KVKs spoke on the occasion.

A publication on the promising technologies was unveiled by the dignitaries. Different critical inputs in the form of kits covering various technologies viz. Sustainable soil management, kitchen garden, pulse and oilseed production, mushroom production, nutri-garden management and banana sucker treatment were distributed among more than five hundred SC farmers from ten different blocks of the district. Five progressive farmers from the SC community were felicitated during the occasion for their commendable role in application and promotion of technologies on sustainable management practices, organic farming, pulse and oil seed production, and conservation of local races of different crops.

(Source: ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Kolkata)