Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul asks G B Pant varsity to advise government on increasing agricultural productivity

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul today asked the G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology to set a panel of experts for advising the state government on ways to increase agricultural productivity and educate farmers about latest farming techniques and soil characteristics.

"An advisory body should be set up by the university to do detailed analysis of conditions prevailing in the agricultural sector in each sub-division and district of Uttarakhand.

"Based on its own assessment of the scenario in each district and sub-division, it should prepare a macro and micro agricultural development plans for the state," the Governor said in a letter to the university Vice Chancellor Mangla Rai.

Making several important suggestions to the university in this regard, he said local farmers and district level officials should be given information on soil analysis done by the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Mukteshwar to educate them about the soil characteristics of their respective areas so that they could improve their agricultural produce.

"When farmers are aware of the soil characteristics of their area and work according to this, productivity will definitely improve. Such data could be used by the university to give specific advice to farmers," he said.

In view of MeT department's prediction about a weak monsoon this year, Paul said the administration should prepare to provide seeds of those species of grains and pulses that require less irrigation to farmers for Kharif and Zayad crops especially in the plains.

The Governor also advocated propagation of new experiments and research about improved seeds and soil fertility from which farmers could benefit immensely.

He said new techniques of farming could be publicised through the internet and other effective media like video conferencing at fixed times on fixed days of the week.

Besides this, district level agricultural fairs and camps should also be organised from time to time to provide the information to farmers.