Farmers trained in advanced maize practices

With the intent to improve the living standards of small and marginal farming families, designated personnel from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Grant Thornton Bharat and the Parivartan Project staff of HDFC organised a one-day training and input-distribution camp at Lapran and Bilaspur villages on Monday.

The initiative aimed to transform rural livelihoods through the dissemination of advanced maize technologies and to drive the sustainable development of farming communities in Punjab.

Around one hundred participants, including members of the Lapran Multipurpose Farmer Producer Company Ltd, took part in the camp, which focused on enhancing knowledge and skills in the cultivation of silage maize and kharif maize, with special emphasis on modern techniques and resource-efficient practices.

Speakers, including Dr MC Dagla, Dr Pardeep Kumar and Dr Roman Sharma, highlighted the critical role of maize-led crop diversification in Punjab’s agricultural landscape. They underscored the opportunities presented by the Government of India’s ethanol blending targets, which offer a compelling case for expanding maize cultivation across the state. The organisers also distributed free tarpaulin sheets to the participants.