Hoshiarpur-based Lambra Kangri society launches agri centre to aid farmers

Hoshiarpur-based Lambra Kangri Multipurpose Cooperative Service Society Ltd has recently launched a new and ambitious project—the Centre of Excellence for Agriculture.

The project was initiated under the chairmanship of Kahan Singh Pannu, former Agriculture Secretary, Punjab. The main objective is to reduce farmers’ input costs, increase their income and promote the judicious use of natural resources, particularly water.

The society aims to connect agricultural experts directly with farmers at the grassroots level, ensuring that innovations and research move beyond laboratories to reach the fields where they are needed most. One of the key techniques being promoted through this Centre is the Seeding of Rice on Bed (SRB) method, which involves growing paddy with significantly less water. This technique has already been successfully trialled and is now set to be implemented across more farms. Similarly, sugarcane plantation on 5-feet beds is being introduced using two different methods.

“Raising sugarcane seedlings outside the field for 2–3 months and then transplanting them into the field allows farmers to cultivate an additional crop like wheat or barley in the main field during this time. Another method involves direct planting of sugarcane in 5-feet wide beds with intercrops such as cauliflower or potatoes planted in the same spacing. This allows double cropping on the same land,” explained Jaswinder Singh, President of the Society. These methods have shown improved plant health and better resource utilisation in recent years, he added.

To support the implementation of these advanced farming practices, the society has procured the necessary machinery and is actively working to set up proper infrastructure, including a modern soil testing laboratory, a training centre for farmers and students, a meeting hall and an administrative office.

Additionally, the society is considering appointing a local Agricultural Development Officer who will assist farmers by providing timely recommendations against crop diseases and ensure on-ground support during trials. “There are also discussions to partner with educational institutions to allow final-semester agriculture students to undertake internships at the Centre.

Six agricultural machines will be kept on-site for hands-on learning, and students will work under the guidance of the Agricultural Development Officer, benefiting both farmers and students through field-level exposure and mutual learning,” officials associated with the society said. The Centre of Excellence also plans to establish a seed and pesticide distribution hub to support farmers with quality inputs, they added.