ICAR-IARI, New Delhi Celebrates World Food Day 2026

16 October 2026, New Delhi

ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, celebrated World Food Day today at the Auditorium of the Division of Agricultural Engineering, highlighting the importance of sustainable agri-food systems, agricultural innovations, crop diversification and water conservation.

Dr Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-IARI, addressed the gathering as the Chief Guest. He highlighted the indispensable role of farmers in strengthening India’s agricultural and food systems. He emphasised that farmers need to follow improved agricultural technologies, undertake value addition, avoid food wastage, practice kitchen gardening, adopt crop diversification through legume and oilseed production, improve soil health and water-use efficiency, plant trees and follow water conservation techniques through consultation with the experts. He also motivated farmers to join the training program being held regularly for the farmers at the Institute from time to time to get benefitted from the knowledge provided by the experts.

The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr Sandeep Kumar Lal, Nodal Officer, Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) scheme. Dr C. Viswanathan, Joint Director (Research), shared remarks on the significance of World Food Day and the role of farmers and scientists for becoming self-sufficient in food production. He also highlighted the importance of agricultural research, education, and extension in ensuring sustainable crop production and ensuring food security.

A technical session was followed, which apprised the farmers about technologies related to water-use efficiency, horticultural crops, plant protection, integrated farming system models, seed production, and use of high-yielding varieties for ensuring food and nutritional security to strengthen agricultural productivity, sustainability and farmers’ livelihoods.

As part of the celebration, the farmers visited research and demonstration facilities that included Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology (CPCT), integrated farming system facilities and rice, millet and maize farms at ICAR-IARI. These visits provided an opportunity to familiarise participants with relevant agricultural technologies, research initiatives and field-level demonstrations.

The World Food Day celebration endorsed ICAR-IARI’s commitment to advancing agricultural research and innovation, promoting sustainable agri-food systems, and contributing to national goals of food and nutritional security and improved farmers’ livelihoods.

Around 158 farmers from Meerut and Bulandshahr districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bahadurgarh District of Haryana, comprising 90 female farmers and 58 male farmers, participated in the programme.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi)