“Being agriculture-centric country, farmers are our treasure”, said Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare while inaugurating Virtual 92nd Foundation Day of Indian Council of Agricultural Research held here at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi today.
Shri Tomar stressed on the prevalence of laws for the prompt implementation of the Government of India’s various agricultural and farming communities welfare schemes. He also urged the ICAR to be vigilant with the help of the Krishi Vigyan Kendras for providing the farmers their due benefits from the schemes.
Regarding the key achievements made by the Council in the last 90 years as a matter of honor for the country, the Minister also applauded the scientists for developing new and improved technologies and farmers who adopted and utilized them wisely. He appreciated the works carried out by the agricultural researchers and scientists during the most challenging times of the outbreak of COVID-19. Shri Tomar also urged the scientific community to have a collective approach in developing any technologies and providing solutions for the various problems being faced by the farmers.
The Minister stressed on promoting integrated farming along with the sidelines of natural and organic farming. He also emphasized on finding the specialties of the livestock, fisheries, hen-rearing and crops varieties to enhance their demands in the markets. Shri Tomar emphasized on the strong foundation and progress in agriculture as the backbone for realizing the target of rural development.
The Guest of Honor, Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare urged for finding prompt solutions for the various challenges prevailing in the field of farm mechanization, agricultural value realization and food processing. The Minister advised the states for carrying out the production of necessary seeds in their respective Krishi Vigyan Kendras only. Shri Rupala also urged the scientists for finding effective ways and developing medicines for solving the problem of locusts.
The Guest of Honor, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare applauded the ICAR’s researches carried out during the last 92 Years that have made the country self-reliant and exporter of the various food crops in the global market. Stressing on the schemes like Attracting & Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA), the Minister urged for attracting more youths to take-up agriculture and farming as their career options along with helping the farmers to get fair prices for their products, developing good quality of seeds and working towards making agriculture as a business option.
Apprising the dignitaries about the various achievements made by the Council in the various fields of agriculture, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) highlighted the different national and international programmes organized, campaigns and Memorandums of Understanding signed by the Council with the Government Organizations. The Director General also stressed that the Council is committed to provide higher education in agriculture, carry out new researches, identify the new improved domestic varieties of crops, development and disseminating the new and advanced agricultural technologies to the farmers’ fields and provide due support to the farming community.
Shri Bimbadhar Pradhan, Special Secretary & Financial Advisor (ICAR) outlined the various achievements made in the fields of agriculture, farming and allied sciences during the last year. Earlier, Shri Sanjay Singh, Additional Secretary (DARE) & Secretary (ICAR) delivered the welcome address. Around 161 Awards under 20 different categories were conferred along with the releasing of Books on Calves of Cloned Buffaloes, Technological Products, Diagnostic Kits, ICAR Publication and Rajbhasha Magazine during the occasion.
The Members of ICAR Governing Body, Senior Officials of ICAR, Directors of ICAR Institutes, Scientists and Vice-Chancellors of State Agricultural Universities also virtually participated in the event.
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