19 June 2023, Punjab: Looking into the key emerging concerns of the Punjab farmers,Dr Evgueni Victorovich Poliakov, a World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Economic Development Consultant, visited the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to hold talks with the state farmers as well as study the University’s vast extension set up. The visit was also a part of the World Bank sponsored project ICAR- Centre of Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology (CAAST)-National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), which is underway at PAU. A group of 25 progressive farmers, hailing from Moga, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Fatehgarh Sahib and Faridkot participated in this meeting along with the scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
While discussing the agrarian issues with the farming fraternity, Dr Poliakov enquired about how PAU was instrumental in solving their problems. Farmers listed their concerns relating to food processing, canal water distribution and assured marketing of quality produce. They lauded the remarkable role being played by the PAU and its extension system in transferring the technologies from lab to land, and also shared the giant task being performed by the PAU’s KVKs in boosting the yield, productivity and the income of stakeholders.
Dr GS Buttar, Director of Extension Education, PAU, while welcoming the visiting member and the farmers, said that the synergy between PAU-KVKs and farmers has catapulted the University as well as the agriculture to touch great heights with their toil and sweat.
Dr OP Chaudhary, Principal Investigator, ICAR-CAAST-NAHEP project, while linking the farmers by translating their thoughts with Dr Poliakov, told that natural resource depletion was a big challenge and that efforts were being made to conserve water and soil by urging the farmers to use less-water consuming paddy varieties, and diversify their cropping pattern by going in for alternative crops such as maize, cotton, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, pulses, etc.
Dr GPS Sodhi, Additional Director of Extension Education, proposed a vote of thanks.
