Stress on universities, scientists to work together to help farmers

A three-day international conference on “Sustainable Innovations in Agriculture, Veterinary and Agro-related Matters” was inaugurated at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Raichur on Monday.

The National Agricultural Development Cooperative Limited (NADCL), Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, is coordinating the event.

Director of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Srinivasa Rao, who inaugurated the event, said that development of agriculture, livestock and agriculture-related fields is the objective of any agricultural university and agriculture-related institution.

Therefore, the UAS Raichur has to review its contribution to the development of these three fields, he added.

He stressed the need for agriculture universities and scientists to work for the development of farmers by resolving problems that they are facing due to natural disasters and markets.

Dr. Rao also pointed out that food worth ₹1.3 lakh crore is being wasted every year and said that universities should also try to focus on finding solutions to this issue.

Vice-Chancellor of UAS Raichur M. Hanumanthappa said that the university's biological production unit, seed unit and pesticide residue analysis units are functioning well.

He said that the role of the biological production unit in the management of black thrips affecting chillis is immense. "The seed production unit has produced 22,000 quintals of seeds and sold them to farmers. In the coming days, a value-added park for cereals will be established in the university which will be a boon to small and micro-grain growers," he said.

So far, 14 patents have been obtained in the fields of agricultural technology and crop protection. And, 12 students of the Agricultural Technology Department have cleared GATE, he told the gathering.

Member of the University Management Board Mallikarjuna D., Director of Extension, P. V. Narasimha Rao Agricultural University, Hyderabad, M. Kishan Kumar, Director, Central Rice Research Institute, Odisha, G. A. K. Kumar, Dean, Postgraduate Department, Veterinary University, Bidar, Dilip Kumar and R. A. Shah of NADCL Baramulla also spoke.

Organizers of the conference Jagruti B. Deshmanya, Basanagouda Bagawat, Mallesh Kolimi, Thimmappa Somappa Chavadi, K. Narayana Rao and G.B. Lokesh were present.