By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 19 May: Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi virtually participated in a video conference chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Union Ministry of Agriculture. Agriculture ministers from all states joined the meeting virtually.
The meeting focused on strategic planning and implementation of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, scheduled to run from 29 May to 12 June. The Union Minister urged all states to take the campaign seriously and ensure it reaches the maximum number of farmers.
During the meeting, Minister Ganesh Joshi stated that, since 2007, Uttarakhand has been organising “Krishi Mahotsavs” during the Kharif and Rabi seasons. As part of this initiative, “Krishi Rath” vehicles, along with agricultural scientists and departmental officers, visit all 670 Nyay Panchayats to directly interact with farmers and provide information about schemes and modern technologies.
Minister Joshi assured that the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan 2025 will be carried out with full dedication in Uttarakhand to ensure widespread benefits for the farming community. He also suggested extending the campaign duration considering the unique geographic conditions of the state. Additionally, he requested central assistance under the “Gherbaad Yojana” to help protect and strengthen agriculture in hill regions.
It is noteworthy that this 15-day campaign aims to provide farmers with modern information on sustainable agriculture, Kharif crop management, animal husbandry, poultry farming, and fisheries, while also promoting the use of Soil Health Cards and collecting farmer feedback to guide future research.
Also present at the meeting were Agriculture Secretary SN Pandey, Director General, Agriculture, Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Agriculture Director KC Pathak, Director, Horticulture Mission, Mahendra Pal, Joint Director Dinesh Kumar, Organic Board MD Vinay Kumar, and other senior officials.
