Annual Zonal Workshop of NICRA-TDC of ICAR-ATARI Kolkata and Patna
June 27-28, 2018, Kolkata
Annual Zonal Workshop of KVKs of Zone IV and V was jointly organized by ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute Kolkata and Patna during June 27-28, 2018 at West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata. In this program, all 22 KVKs from Andaman & Nicobar Islands (1), Bihar (07), Jharkhand (06), Odisha (05) and West Bengal (03) participated and presented their progress report and action plan.
Dr. J. S. Samra, Former Deputy Director General (NRM), ICAR and former CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority, Government of India, New Delhi, Chief Guest of the programme, while addressing the inaugural speech he emphasized upon ‘waste to wealth’ to produce bio-CNG from crop residues which is cheaper than the fossil fuels etc. He has also made a presentation on Management of paddy straw for Bio- CNG manure, Employment and Swachh Bharat. Pollution due to ultra fine particles (PM 2.5) is more severe causing premature death and disability. He concerned about crop residue burning is a serious threat in northern India and gradually increasing in eastern India.
Dr. S. S. Singh, Director, ICAR-ATARI Kolkata mentioned that the intervention under NICRA should read vulnerability with existing cropping practices and preventing this vulnerability through NICRA intervention is to be a priority.
Dr. Anjani Kumar, Director, ICAR-ATARI Patna asked all the NICRA-KVKs to prepare case studies/success stories based on the most successful and scalable technologies and those should be replicated in nearby areas.
Dr. Md. Osman, Coordinator, NICRA-TDC, CRIDA, Hyderabad stressed upon up-scaling of low cost promising technologies to neighbouring villages and documentation of success stories. He also emphasized that development of different models of entrepreneurship with focus on custom hiring centres, seed bank and primary level of value addition.
Few publications like Effect of heat stress on livestock and their remedies, Crop cultivation during flood through land management and Mung ki Kheti etc. were released during the workshop.
Dr. F. H. Rahman, Principal Scientist-cum- NICRA Nodal Officer, ICAR-ATARI Kolkata presented the highlights of the salient achievements carried out by the 22 NICRA- KVKs of the Zone IV and Zone V.
In the technical session all the Heads of the KVKs have presented one by one their salient achievements of out scaled technologies during the last six years and also placed the Action Plan of 2018-19.
Directors of Extension Education of SAUs of Zone IV and V, State Government representative and scientists from other ICAR Institute have also attended the workshop.
The workshop ended with vote of thanks offered by Dr P. P. Pal, Pr. Scientist, ICAR-ATARI Kolkata.
(Source: ICAR – Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Kolkata)
Some of the General recommendation came out of the two days workshop are mentioned as:
- In flood prone area land embankment should be done in community basis and Paedasekhram system develop in Kerala (Kutanal area) should be adopted.
- Custom Hiring Centre (CHC) should be made self sustainable.
- NRM should be done in convergence mode with line department like MGNREGA, Soil conservation and other agencies
- An interactive meeting with Institutes involved in strategic research of NICRA with TDC NICRA for dissemination of technology generated through the strategic research
- Annual progress report of strategic basic research of NICRA should be circulating among the NICRA KVKs of Zone IV and V.
- Low cost/portable hatchery should be promoted for employment generation.
- Ridge and sunken system should be promoted for maize cultivation.
- State wise meeting with TDC, State government department, ATARI Scientists and SAUs Scientists for up-scaling the successful technologies
- Area specific mineral mixture should be demonstrated for health improvement of livestock
- At least one Signatory authority should be from KVK for VCRMC bank account.
- AWS established in the KVKs must be functional
- KVKs where no SRF recruited, there Project Assistant/Young Professional may be engaged for running the activities under the project
- Rainfall intensity month wise must be calculated and presented in the report
- Emphasis must be given for convergence with different ongoing programmes in the district particularly for KVKs of Odisha
- Vulnerability index should be measured and accordingly intervention to be executed
- Large scale dissemination of successful technologies to be undertaken in the nearby villages also
- After saturation of farmers in present NICRA village with technologies then those need to be replicated in neighbouring villages
- Performance of CHC and VCRMC need to be improved particularly in Odisha KVKs
- Contingent planning season wise need to be prepared to respond in time
- NICRA activities should not be clubbed with KVKs normal activities
- Topographic situation of village data (Up, Mid & Low land) should be kept in each NICRA village
- Socio-economic impact of the successful technology demonstration should be analysed
- Intervention on livestock/fishery should be taken on proper climate resilient basis
- Well performing NICRA KVKs must exchange their knowledges with other NICRA KVKs
- Documentation of the successful intervention to be prepared
- Crop diversification intervention need to be undertaken in more numbers particularly in Odisha KVKs
- Extension activities or training programme to be conducted on climate related issues
- All the KVKs should prioritize their required equipments based on the budgetary provision. Small implements may be procured from the contingency budget of NICRA
- Effective utilization of fund must be followed and AUC/SOE must be submitted in time
- Demonstration of different units in KVK to showcase different technology
- Identification of technology according to land pattern must be followed
- Identify different climate resilient varieties and inclusion of those in the district plan in collaboration with district authority for horizontal spread.