Raipur, 24 October 2024//

Chief Minister  Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated the National Farmers’ Fair and Agricultural Exhibition at the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University campus on October 23. During his address,  Sai emphasised the crucial role farmers play in shaping a developed India. He reiterated the Chhattisgarh Government’s commitment to modernising agriculture and increasing farmers’ incomes. He encouraged farmers to diversify by incorporating fisheries, animal husbandry, and horticultural crops alongside paddy cultivation to boost their incomes.

Chief Minister  Sai stated that shortly after taking office, the government disbursed the two-year pending paddy bonus of Rs. 3,716 crore to 13 lakh farmers on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister  Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Under ” Modi’s Guarantee”, the state government has procured paddy at Rs. 3,100 per quintal and up to 21 quintals per acre. Last year, the government procured 145 lakh metric tonnes of paddy and transferred nearly Rs. 49,000 crore directly into farmers’ accounts. He assured that, following a successful Kharif season, the state government is making robust arrangements for paddy procurement at support prices. This year, the procurement will begin on November 14, with expectations of record purchases.

Chief Minister  Sai also highlighted the fair and exhibition’s goal to engage youth in agriculture and promote modern farming techniques. He praised the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University for its contributions in identifying new agricultural technologies and ongoing efforts to make agricultural education more accessible to young people, enhancing farming practices across the state.

Agriculture Minister  Ramvichar Netam emphasised the importance of not only increasing agricultural production for self-employment but also focusing on crop rotation, product packaging, and marketing. MP Raipur  Brijmohan Agrawal highlighted that since both the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister come from farming backgrounds, Chhattisgarh has made continuous progress in the agricultural sector. He stated that due to the state government’s schemes, paddy farming has become profitable, and farmers can further increase their income by adopting crop rotation and integrating horticultural crops into their practices.

During the inauguration ceremony, mini kits of new lentil varieties were distributed to six farmers. At the Agri Carnival, offer letters were provided to six agricultural graduates by various companies through a job fair. Additionally, the university’s coffee table book, ‘Agrasar’ and other farmer-focused publications were released by the guests. Young entrepreneurs from agricultural startups were presented with cheques. Approximately 4,000 farmers from various districts and 1,000 students participated in the Agri Carnival, gaining insights into agricultural technologies through field visits and exhibitions.

On the second day of the four-day Agri Carnival-2024, seminars on “Export of Agricultural Products from Chhattisgarh” and workshops on “Modern Plant Breeding Techniques and Data Analysis” were held, along with exhibitions on biodiversity.

The two-day workshop on “Modern Plant Breeding Techniques and Data Analysis” was inaugurated by Dr. Girish Chandel, Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University. Dr. S.K. Katiyar, Program Head of the East Africa International Rice Breeding Program, was a distinguished guest. The workshop provided live training to 211 scientists and researchers from Chhattisgarh and other states, focusing on modern rice breeding, speed breeding, and data analysis to develop new crops and varieties for future needs. International experts from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Manila, Philippines, as well as Ghana and East Africa, led the training sessions on cutting-edge techniques. A one-day seminar on “Export of Agricultural Products from Chhattisgarh” also took place, attended by around 400 farmers, young entrepreneurs, researchers, and students.

Dharsiwa MLA  Anuj Sharma, Durg MLA  Gajendra Yadav, along with Indira Gandhi Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Dr. Girish Chandel, management board members  Vimal Chawda,  Ramsuman Uikey, and Smt Janaki Satyanarayan Chandra were present.