PAU Kisan Mela showcases modern farming technologies, subsidised seeds

The two-day Kisan Mela at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, concluded on Saturday amid overwhelming farmer participation, live field demonstrations, interactive exhibitions and heavy demand for seeds. The event reinforced PAU’s enduring role in advancing farmer welfare, agricultural innovation and sustainable farming practices.

On the concluding day, Malwinder Singh Kang, Member of Parliament for Anandpur Sahib, lauded PAU’s initiatives, describing the Kisan Mela as a platform of trust between farmers and scientists. “Punjab Agricultural University has always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the farming community. The Kisan Mela is not just an exhibition of technologies, but a platform where the future of agriculture is shaped. I urge our farmers to embrace diversification, value addition and new innovations so that Punjab’s fields remain fertile, our youth remain rooted in farming, and our villages become models of self-reliance,” he said.

He encouraged farmers to stay engaged with PAU through melas, field days and training programmes, noting that agriculture is both “our bread and butter and our culture.” Citing Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s reverence for farming, he emphasised Punjab’s responsibility to feed the nation and prepare its agriculture for the global stage through large-scale processing and value addition.

Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, expressed grave concern over the devastation caused by relentless rains and floods in Punjab, particularly damage inflicted by the Ravi river. Nearly five lakh acres of cropland, farm machinery, livestock, and food supplies were lost, while silt deposits threatened future harvests, he cautioned. To support farmers in this crisis, Dr Gosal announced that PAU woukd provide subsidised wheat seed with contributions from teaching and non-teaching staff. He also shared that 35 seed sale centres had been set up across Punjab, drawing long queues since Thursday evening.

Calling PAU’s 63 years of establishment “momentous,” he noted that the university has been the mother of seven agricultural institutions in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, in addition to leading India’s Green Revolution. Encouraging diversification, Dr Gosal urged farmers to adopt vegetable, pulse and oilseed kits, biofertilisers, agri-business models and modern machinery such as GNSS-based auto steering systems, sensor-based irrigation and surface seeders for straw management. He also appealed to the older generation to inspire youth to remain in agriculture rather than seeking uncertain prospects abroad.

Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research, presented the latest research breakthroughs, including new varieties such as PBW 872 of wheat (nationally top-ranked), PL 942 of barley, SML 2575 of summer moong, and Punjab Potato 103 and 104. He also shared advancements in resource conservation technologies, crop protection and farm mechanisation, alongside the integration of goat farming in the Integrated Farming System Model.

Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, in his welcome address, credited PAU’s consistent top ranking in NIRF 2023–2025 to the strong synergy between farmers and the university. He urged farmers to join skill trainings at PAU’s Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Skill Development Centre and to explore the 300 agro-industrial