Scientists, agri experts reach out to farmers

With the launching of “Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan” in Haryana by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to transform agriculture at the grassroots level, scientists and agriculture experts of various ICAR institutions, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) have stepped out of their laboratories and offices and are reaching out directly to farmers across the state.

They are not only providing first-hand knowledge about modern agricultural practices, but also taking feedback from farmers on the challenges they face.

The campaign, launched on May 29 by the Chief Minister, is part of a nationwide mission announced by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. It will continue till June 12. The aim is to bridge the gap between scientific research and farm-level implementation, ultimately contributing to ‘Atmanirbhar Krishi’ (self-reliant agriculture).

Led by ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) and supported by scientists from other ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), ATMA and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the initiative is mobilising over 2,000 experts to visit rural villages across all 22 districts of Haryana.

Each expert team is holding awareness camps and interactive sessions on topics such as high-yielding seed varieties, precision farming, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and agri-business opportunities.

Dr Dheer Singh, Director of NDRI, interacted with farmers from different villages on Friday and highlighted the significance of this ground-level outreach. “We are not just here to educate farmers, we are here to listen. Farmers face many issues that never reach research labs. Our scientists will work on these problems to find practical solutions,” he said.

On May 31, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is scheduled to visit a village in Panipat to interact with farmers and review the campaign’s progress, he added.

In Karnal district, the campaign aims to cover 180 villages in just 15 days. Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA) Dr Wazir Singh said that this programme is being implemented to translate laboratory research into field-ready practices.

Local agricultural officers, including SDOs, BAOs, and ADOs, along with scientists from KVKs and ICAR institutes, are working in full coordination to ensure the success of the mission.

In Kaithal, DDA Babu Lal, along with teams from NDRI, IIWBR, and CSSRI Karnal, visited villages in Kalayat block. He reiterated that the campaign is a national effort to empower farmers with science-backed solutions and to make sure their voices are heard at the policy and research level.