Zonal Midterm-Review Meeting of Farmer FIRST Programme organized by ICAR-ATARI-II, Jodhpur

18 October, 2023, Jodhpur

Zonal Midterm-Review Meeting of Farmer FIRST Programme was organized by ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute-II, Jodhpur today on the major theme of integrating technologies and enriching knowledge under the Chairmanship of Dr RR Burman, Assistant Director General (Agil. Extn. Joined online), ICAR New Delhi. The major objective of the meeting was to review the progress of the ongoing programme mainly on various approaches, processes, methodology and indicators, physical and financial progress, and also to discuss the operationalization mechanism of the implementation under the Farmer FIRST Programme.

Dr Burman emphasised upon adoption and horizontal diffusion of technologies in convergence mode with the State Agriculture Department in the selected villages. There is a need to develop some exit policy, in which the interventions must continue in a sustainable way while adopting the new villages under FFP. Some “Seed Hubs” might be created in cluster villages with farmers’ participation in order to ensure seed availability for the farming community in crop season, he added.

Dr JP Mishra, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Jodhpur briefed on diversified interventions and promotion of resource conservation technologies for efficient resource use to enhance income for sustainable livelihood security of farm families through the establishment of need-based Integrated Farming System in prevailing situations. He also briefed about the objectives and concepts of the FFP being implemented especially Farmer FIRST Progrmme in a holistic manner, in participatory and convergence mode in the country.

Dr Rohilla, Nodal Officer, ATARI Jodhpur briefed about the major achievements during 2022 and urged for the implementation of demand-driven, locally specific and need-based technological modules in participatory mode.

Principal Investigators from six different ICAR Institutes viz. CAZRI, Jodhpur; CSWRI, Avikanagar; CIRB, Hisar; CSSRI, Karnal; NDRI, Karnal; and IARI, New Delhi; and two State Agricultural Universities viz. AU Jodhpur and CCSHAU Hisar presented their progress for review period. Consortium leaders (two out of four) from IASRI and NAARM Hyderabad also presented their progress.

A total of 35 PIs and Co-PIs of FFP from Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan states participated in this Zonal Midterm Review Meeting.

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