PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Pantnagar
The 120th All India Kisan Mela concluded at the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT) here on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, the Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar MP Ajay Bhatt stated that the country has made remarkable progress in the agricultural sector, and today, India is not only self-sufficient in food grain production but also exporting agricultural products. The GBPUAT and its agricultural scientists have played a significant role in this achievement.
He urged farmers to increase their incomes by adopting modern technology, improved marketing, and agricultural diversification. Bhatt congratulated the university’s vice chancellor Shivendra Kumar Kashyap and the entire university fraternity for the successful organisation of the farmers’ fair and stated that the university is providing a new direction to the country in the agricultural sector.
Uttarakhand State Farmers Commission vice chairman Surendra Singh Namdhari said that farmers should not only be food providers but also agricultural entrepreneurs. Through modern technology, better marketing, and value addition, farmers can increase their income. He stated that the prosperity of the country’s farmers will provide new impetus to India’s development.
Kashyap stated that the event is not a one-person event, but the result of the collective efforts of the university’s scientists, faculty, staff, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, students, farmers, and entrepreneurs. He emphasized that team spirit, dedication, and collective efforts provide the strength to overcome even the most significant challenges. He stated that the farmers’ trust and connection with the university is the fair’s greatest strength. This year, to meet the farmers’ seed needs, the university’s scientists and staff worked in three shifts to process seeds. Approximately 25 per cent more seeds were produced before the fair than last year, ensuring adequate seed availability for farmers, he said.
