Tomar to inaugurate 3-day agri-science fair at Pusa campus on Thu

This time special arrangements have been made for helping the farmers to carry the purchased seeds from mela ground to IARI gates free of cost.New crop varieties and technologies will be on display at the fair.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will inaugurate a three-day agri-science fair at the Pusa-IARI campus here on Thursday.

As the country is celebrating the 'International Year of Millets', the theme of the annual fair 'Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela', being organised by the government research body Indian Institute of Agricultural Research (IARI), is on achieving ''nutritional, food and environmental security through millets''.

Ministers of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary and Sushree Shobha Karandlaje as well as Indian Council of Agriculture Research Director General Himanshu Pathak will also be present at the fair.

''Millets hold immense potential to ensure nutritional security and to make the food systems climate resilient. They can be grown in less water and at high temperatures. All stakeholders involved in millets from farmers to processors will showcase their strengths at the fair,'' IARI Director A K Singh told the media.

The government has recognised eight types of millets and named them as ''Srianna'' and promoting its production and demand in a big way across the country, he said.

Hundreds of farmers from neighbouring states and other stakeholders in the agriculture and food value chain are expected to participate in the event.

Around 36 IARI-innovative farmers, five IARI-fellow farmers and one farmer for 'life time achievement', will be felicitated at the event.

The key highlight of the fair would be 'sale of seeds of IARI varieties of paddy'. Farmers often carried seeds on their shoulders or head. This time special arrangements have been made for helping the farmers to carry the purchased seeds from mela ground to IARI gates free of cost.

New crop varieties and technologies will be on display at the fair. For example, herbicide tolerant rice varieties like Pusa Basmati 1979 and Pusa Basmati 1985, leaf stem and stripe rusts resistant wheat varieties HD 3406 and HD3407, bio-fortified pearl millet lines and soft seeded guava varieties among other will be on display for the farmers.

A Kisan consultancy stall will help on-the-spot diagnostics and solutions to the farmers.