Farmers, rural women from HP’s Mandi visit dairy & agri institutes

A group of farmers and rural women from various blocks of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh visited ICAR-NDRI and ICAR-IIWBR as part of an educational exposure programme, where they were introduced to latest advancements in agriculture and animal husbandry.

During interactions with the farmers and women actively engaged in agriculture, Dr Dalip Gosain, former head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), NDRI, discussed strategies to enhance agricultural productivity and farm incomes in hill regions. He highlighted improved varieties and practical cultivation techniques of potato, onion, garlic, pea, mustard, and wheat, which are well-suited to hill conditions and could significantly improve yields and income.

Gosain encouraged the farmers to adopt improved seeds and modern technologies wherever it was feasible to achieve higher productivity and economic gains.

He also emphasised strengthening of dairy farming through rearing and conservation of elite Jersey cattle. Citing a recent cattle fair, he shared an example where a Jersey cow produced 42 litres of milk in 24 hours, demonstrating the income potential of quality genetics and efficient management.

A participant, Tarawati, shared that she had earlier visited KVK in 2014 and after adopting recommended practices, her Jersey cow was now yielding better milk. She also noted that basmati rice seed obtained from here earlier performed well.

Gosain assured the group that mustard and wheat seeds would be provided to them in near future for on-farm trials. The visiting group included Vijay Kumar, Bhawna, Taradevi, and Girija Kumari, among others.