Training on ‘New frontiers in Biotic Stress Management for doubling farmers income’ inaugurated

In the backdrop of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s appeal for doubling farmer’s income by 2022, a 10-days short course training programme on “New Frontiers of biotic stress management for doubling the farmer’s income” was inaugurated at ICAR-National institute of Biotic Stress management, Raipur on 11 September, 2017. At the outset, Dr. Anil Dixit, Course Director informed the audience that the Government of India has prepared a blue print on seven point strategies to double farmer’s income by 2022. He informed the house that in seven point strategy, increasing crop production, reducing cultivation costs and reforming agricultural markets are among the focus areas of government to double  the farmer’s income.

Dr. K. Subramaniam (IFS), Director General, Chattisgarh Council of Science and Technology inaugurated the training course as a chief guest in the presence of Dr. M.P. Thakur, Director Extension, IGKV, Raipur as a guest of honor, Dr. Jagdish Kumar, Director (Acting), and Dr. P. Kaushal, Joint Director (Research) ICAR – NIBSM, Raipur presided over the inauguration ceremony . The dignitaries sensitized the participants about the current statistics on huge losses of agricultural produce due to all possible kinds of biotic stresses. It was emphasized that the crop losses due to various biotic stresses like weeds (33%), insects (26%), diseases (20%) and rodents (6 – 8%) suffers the crop yield. The total losses due to these stresses are about Rs. 140, 000 crores annually. They asked the agricultural scientists to prove their roles as plant protectionists in managing these losses to double the farmers income. It was stressed the importance of this short course training is a need of time to ponder over the farmers double income by the scientific community.For this training NIBSM and IGKV have appropriate facilities, expertise and experience for the benefit of young researchers and teachers. 

Participants from various Agricultural Universities and ICAR Institutes belonging to the disciplines of agricultural entomology, pathology, weed science, plant breeding and genetics etc. are participating in this training programme.

(Source: ICAR-National institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur)