Upcoming farm institute in Ludhiana to boost research

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 2

A high-level delegation led by Dr Martin Kropff, Director General of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), today called on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

He apprised him of the progress of the prestigious centre of Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) that was being established at Ludhiana under the guidance of Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).

An official spokesperson said Badal impressed upon the official that infrastructure for cutting edge research relating to varietal development and climate change must be created on priority. He also asked him to make each unit functional simultaneously as its infrastructure being raised instead of waiting the construction of the entire institution and then make it functional.

He also hoped that this institute would prove to be a milestone to herald the second green revolution by encouraging value-added crops like maize, basmati and oil seed ultimately helping state farmers to come out of the rut of wheat-paddy cycle. At the same time, the Chief Minister assured them support to take up the matter with the Union Government for easy and adequate fund flow for creation of infrastructure at Ladowal (Ludhiana).

Dr Martin Kropff informed the Chief Minister that BISA had decided to setup their headquarters at Ludhiana after the completion of the construction work. Expressing his gratitude to the CM for cooperation from the government, he said they had already initiated the research work at various levels with the help of PAU, Ludhiana, to develop new variety crops of better yield with less consumption of water besides preserving soil health by enhancing nitrogen content in it.

Expressing satisfaction over the progress, Badal also impressed upon BISA to set up demo farms in different parts of the state so that scientific research in different agro-climatic zones could actually benefit the farmers thereby enhancing the quality and productivity of different crops.