A one-day Kisan Mela has been scheduled at ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow on 30th November, 2017 with the view to fulfill our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s dream cum vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. The Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Dr. Dinesh Sharma and Mrs. Swati Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Agriculture Import, Marketing and Foreign Trade have consented to be the chief guest and guest of honour respectively and address the farmers.
Horticultural sector contributes to more than 33 per cent of the total GDP. The annual increment of production by 7.5 and 9.5 per cent from vegetables and fruits, respectively have been a prime factor that has contributed for increasing GDP by horticulture sector. Ever-increasing demand of fruits and vegetables provide opportunities to increase the production, which will eventually increase farmers’ income. In this context, our Institute is working towards promotion as well as out-reaches of the technologies to farmers by extending extension activities. The main emphasis and objective of this programme is to provide solutions to major problems faced by horticulture farmers and also create awareness about improved production technologies, crop protection and post harvest management practices.
In Uttar Pradesh, about 220 lakh farm families are dependent on horticulture. Only 30% of this group includes big farmers who are progressive and take benefits from majority of government schemes/programs. Nearly 70% small and marginal farmers are our target who needs attention. Our institute has implemented agricultural diversification through inter cropping in existing orchards, poultry, nutritional gardens, mushroom production, fruit and vegetable nursery production along with enhancing productivity of fruit crops under Farmers First, Precision Farming Development Centre (PFDC) and Mera Gaun Mera Gaurav programs. Mobile van services were provided to the farmers for direct sale to consumers, curtailing middle men, as better marketing option for fetching premium prices of their produce adopting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and GI. Under PFDC project, 30-40 per cent water and fertilizers were saved by extending drip irrigation technique in fields of fruit and cole crop growers. Package of practices for green house precision farming of tomato, capsicum and cucumber has resulted high productivity and maximum net returns to farmers.
During the Kisan Mela, services of E-platform containing information of farmers would be made available, which is expected to increase direct contact between consumers and growers, and farmers may get better price for their produce. On the occasion, subject matter specialists of different crops (fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, banana, etc) and fisheries, poultry and animal husbandry will provide scientific knowledge to the farmers and related literature will also be distributed to provide pace to crop diversification. Demonstration of technology by ICAR institutes, KVKs, private agencies, PFDC and exhibition of produce by the selected farmers of Farmers First Project will be done in the exhibition of mela. Farmers performed best towards crop diversification, adoption of new techniques for higher productivity and intelligent marketing will be awarded on this occasion.
