ICAR-NIBSM stands with Chhattisgarh farmers amid lockdown
16th May 2020, Raipur: ICAR – National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (NIBSM), Raipur has initiated many advisory measures to support the farming communities during COVID 19 lockdown. Under the guidance of Director, Dr. P. K. Ghosh, the institute is helping farmers for safe harvest and storage of rabi crops .
The Institute also established five Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) at Kasdol, Balodabazar to meet the farm implement needs during rabi harvest. The Institute through its two village level Farmer Communication Centers (FCCs) is regularly providing agro-advisory services to the farmers such as storage pest monitoring gadgets to enable vigil on storage pest management, wearing face mask in post-harvest operations to prevent respiratory disorder, keeping social distancing during farm operations and also at produce collection points, procurement centers to avoid the possible infections.
Farm advisory has also been distributed to farmers in Hindi to save their crop from pest and diseases. In addition, Integrated Weed Management (IWM) and conservation agricultural practices have been demonstrated in the farmer’s field through Farmer FIRST project.
Dr PK Ghosh, Director NIBSM addresses farmers through online medium
Recently, Dr. P. K. Ghosh, Director, NIBSM has given the exhaustive live session on Facebook platform on “Do’s and don’ts during lock down agro-advisory for Kharif crops and its role in National food security.” In his speech, he advocated various farm practices for better Kharif crop, strengthening farm supply chains to local areas by creating and encouraging Commodity Based Cooperatives (CBCs), empowering social organisations, NGOs , Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to keep the healthy supply chain system and cash flow in local areas. Dr. Anil Dixit, Principal Scientist and PRO coordinated the events and information flow between the institute and state government.