PAU V-C discusses water, soil issues with NABARD

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Ludhiana, July 10

Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, vice-chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), led a team of university experts in agricultural engineering, soil and water engineering, soil science, and agronomy to meet Raghunath B, Chief General Manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Punjab Regional Office, Chandigarh.

During the meeting, Dr Gosal provided an extensive overview of PAU’s current status and its pivotal role in improving the plight of farmers.

He emphasised the importance of developing technologies that enhance agricultural output without harming the environment. “PAU is committed to finding partners who share our ideals and value dynamic relationships,” Dr Gosal said.

He discussed PAU’s partnerships with international institutions, stressing collaborative research opportunities in climate-resilient technologies, genome editing, biosensors, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT).

Raghunath detailed NABARD’s developmental role in Punjab, citing NABARD’s involvement in projects such as crop diversification, reclamation of alkaline soil in Sangrur and Patiala, the establishment of ‘Pashu Palak Tele Advisory Kendra’, and the application of AI in livestock management.

He reaffirmed NABARD’s commitment to supporting the state’s development, emphasising their role in channeling resources and expertise for sustainable rural transformation.

The discussions focused on NABARD’s potential to fund research in rural development, farmers’ welfare, natural resource conservation, innovative farming practices and value chain development in the food sector. The talks also covered market intelligence in floriculture and horticulture, aiming to provide market forecasts and necessary support for ecosystem development.

Raghunath assured the PAU of NABARD’s full support for future collaborations.

In a subsequent meeting in Chandigarh, the PAU team engaged with officials from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), including Rajeev P, Deputy Director General (North), and Vishal Tomar, Director and Head of Chandigarh branch office.

BIS formulates Indian standards for food, feed, agricultural equipment, and systems, covering the entire food supply chain. The discussions included a proposal for a standard demonstration farm that would utilise standardised inputs along with PAU’s recommendations, creating a scalable model for technology adoption and replication.

BIS sought PAU’s technical expertise in developing new standard norms. Dr Gosal encouraged PAU scientists to develop robust project proposals for collaboration with both BIS and NABARD.

“These meetings marked significant strides towards enhanced collaboration between PAU, NABARD, and BIS, promising a future of innovative agricultural advancements and rural development in Punjab,” the V-C added.

For sustainable future

• The V-C talked about PAU’s partnerships with international institutions, stressing collaborative research opportunities in climate-resilient technologies, genome editing, biosensors, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT)
• NABARD’s representative affirmed its commitment to supporting the state’s development, emphasising their role in channeling resources and expertise for sustainable rural transformation