In an attempt to bridge the gap between research and rural farming communities, ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), West Garo Hills, organised a one day ‘Kisan Sammelan-cum-Farmer–Scientist Interaction Programme’ on Thursday.
The event aimed to disseminate scientific knowledge, enhance farmers’ awareness on sustainable farming practices and to promote the adoption of innovative technologies.
The Sammelan witnessed the participation of 48 farmers from various villages of West Garo Hills, with a notable presence of women agriculturists. The programme commenced with a welcome address by Monica Suresh Singh, Senior Scientist and Head of ICAR-KVK, who highlighted the pivotal role of KVKs in capacity building, technology transfer and enhancing rural livelihoods. She also presented in brief about KVK’s activities of the last five years.
VB Patel, Assistant Director General (Horticultural Sciences) of ICAR, emphasised the immense potential of horticultural crops in the agro-climatic zones of Meghalaya. He highlighted the threat posed by Fusarium wilt in bananas and suggested ICAR-Fusicont as a promising biocontrol solution. Patel also stressed on the need for value addition, particularly in cashew and other perishable commodities to curb post-harvest losses and enhance farmer incomes. He encouraged farmers to adopt high-yielding and dwarf varieties of cashew, which could significantly boost productivity and profitability.
Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Sciences) of ICAR New Delhi, applauded ICAR-KVK West Garo Hills’ dedication to empowering farmers through knowledge sharing, innovation and a strong farmer-scientist partnership for a more prosperous agricultural future.He urged the farmers to attend more training programmes and adopt scientific production technologies for improving crop yield, quality and farm income. He elaborated on the significance of learning the entire value chain, from production to branding, and encouraged the formation of organic farming clusters in alignment with national priorities.
Singh also stressed the importance of using high-quality seeds and motivated farmers to incorporate biofertilisers, rapid composting technologies and locally-prepared biopesticides into their practices. Planting of neem trees as a natural pest control measure was another practical suggestion offered to reduce chemical pesticide dependency.
The interactive session that followed provided a platform for farmers to directly raise their concerns and receive tailored advice from scientists. The open dialogue fostered mutual understanding and commitment to problem-solving through science-based approaches.
The event culminated with the distribution of quality seeds of rice, maize and finger millet to the participating farmers.
