Farmers emphasize the need of an integrated agricultural system
On Sunday, the Gurbachan Singh Foundation for Research, Education, and Development (GSFRED) celebrated its sixth foundation day in Kachwa village with a kisan mela. Regional agricultural experts attended and emphasized the importance of the integrated farming system (IFS) model.
During his foundation day lecture, Dr. Inderjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, argued that the IFS model developed at GSFRED needs to be scaled up for the food, nutrition, and livelihood security of small and marginal farmers, who make up approximately 85% of all farmers in the nation. For the benefit of students, farmers, and members of civil society, he expressed gratitude to Dr. Gurbachan Singh, the previous head of the Agriculture Scientist Recruitment Board (ASRB), for creating an agro-eco-tourism site.
In order to increase farmers’ income, horticulture and agriculture must be integrated, according to Dr. SK Malthora, VC of Maharana Pratap Horticulture University in Karnal.
Dr. Gurbachan Singh, a former Director of the CSSRI in Karnal and the Government of India’s Agriculture Commissioner, discussed the initiatives and programs of GSFRED, which were started to support farmers and help jobless young people and students improve their skills and entrepreneurial spirit. He discussed the integrated agricultural system concept, which was created to make agriculture climate resilient and to double the income of small and marginal farmers. The director of the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Dr. Gyanendera Singh, spoke about the numerous new, high-yielding, and climate-resilient wheat varieties his organization has developed. Last year, the country produced approximately 110 MT of wheat, and this year, production is predicted to reach 112 MT.
