ICAR-IARI’s first Outstation Research Centre inaugurated
Rakhra Kisan Mela organized by the Punjab Young Farmers ASssociation,here was inaugurated by Dr. A K Singh Director ICAR Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI),New Delhi. He laid emphasis on adoption of technologies developed by IARI.
The theme of the mela was ‘Enhancing the income of farmers’. Thousands of farmers from all over the state and neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana thronged the fair. There was a great hunger among them to obtain the seeds of the newly released Pusa Basmati 1728 and Pusa Basmati 1637 varieties. The new varieties are substitutes for the Pusa Basmati1 and Pusa Basmati 1401 varieties. The new varieties have been made from the diseases of blast and bacterial blight respectively by increasing their yield potential. The renowned breeder of Basmati varieties Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh who heads the division of genetics of IARI explained to the farmers the characteristic of various varieties of basmati.
Dr. Trichona Mohapatra DirectorGeneral of ICAR and Secretary Govt. of India Department of Agricultural Research & Education inaugurated the “IARI Rakhra Collaboration Outstation Research Centre” at YFA campus here. This is the first centre of IARI set up in Punjab. The testing of various varieties of crops particularly of rice and wheat, to suit Punjab Soil and Environment will also be done here.
Dr. Pushpinder Singh Aulakh Director of Horticulture Punjab said that the department had opened centre of excellence at Kartatpur and Doraha for supplying to the farmers the seedlings and plants of various Vegetables , Fruits and flowers.
Bhagwan Dass SecretaryGeneral Punjab Young Farmers Association said that diversification through cultivation of basmati varieties, fruits and vegetable yield result in enhancing the income of growers and solving the water depletion and pollution problems of the state.
Balishter Singh Mann Offg. President of Young Farmers Association welcomed the farmers and told them the future programme of the association. Dr. DK. Yadav Assistance Director General (Seeds) of ICAR and Head Division of Seed Science at IARI and Dr. Akshay Talukdar Principal scientist & Nodal Officer of Collaboration Outstation Research Centre also spoke.
