The meeting emphasised on reducing the cost of cultivation by using appropriate pest and disease resistant varieties of crops along with cultivation of bio-fortified varieties; enhancement of productivity of Kharif crops especially pulses and oilseeds
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) jointly with ICAR organised Interface meeting for Kharif 2021 on 20 April 2021 through a video conference. Divisions of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare(DAC&FW) in consultation with their counter parts in ICAR formulated Group Recommendations on researchable issues for the pre-seasonal Interfaces held twice annually before Kharif& Rabi seasons. These Group Recommendations are then discussed in detail at the Joint Plenary Session of DAC & FW-ICAR Interface.
The effort is aimed at understanding the key issues – both from Research and Development perspective in agriculture and allied sectors and evolving joint strategies to address those issues in the coming Kharif season. The issues warranting actions by States are then flagged in the National Conference on Agriculture and are discussed threadbare with the States in respective sessions to avoid any gap in their implementation.
Today, in the Pre-Kharif Interface workshop, the Divisions of DAC & FW such as Crops, Seeds, Horticulture, Plant Protection, Mechanization and Technology, Integrated Nutrient Management, Natural Resources Management &Rain fed Farming System and Extension, formulated Group Recommendations in response to emerging issues and identified issues based on deliberations with ICAR for the Kharif season 2021.
Secretary (DAC&FW) Sanjay Agarwal in his concluding remarks emphasized on reducing the cost of cultivation by using appropriate pest and disease resistant varieties of crops along with cultivation of bio-fortified varieties; enhancement of productivity of Kharif crops especially pulses and oilseeds; reducing the varietal mismatch, use of drones in agriculture especially in pesticide application, adequate use of mechanization technologies; soil health management practices; management of invasive insect pests, etc. for improving production and productivity in agricultural and horticultural crops.
In order to address the issue of nutritional security along with food security, it has been decided to promote bio fortified varieties of food grains including pulses through National Food Security Mission, now Ministry of Agriculture has decided to change name to National Food and Nutritional Security Mission.
He expressed that the solution provided to current issues will be passed on to states for further strategizing their action plant for augmenting the production and productivity through better prepositioning of inputs, new seed varieties, pre decided seed rolling plan, nutrient management, pest management and modern machineries.
