21 September 2026, Bathinda, Punjab
A Kisan Mela on Crop Residue Management (CRM) and Kisan Samvad was organized at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Bathinda, where Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, interacted with farmers and emphasized the importance of agroecology, resource-based crop planning, crop & enterprise diversification, and efficient management of agricultural resources for sustainable and remunerative agriculture.
Addressing the farmers, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized that crop planning should be aligned with the natural resource base, agro-climatic conditions and local requirements of different regions. He stressed the need for an agroecological approach in which cropping patterns, technologies and resource-use practices are suitably matched with available soil and water resources. Such location-specific planning, he noted, can contribute to conservation of natural resources while sustaining farm productivity and income.
The Minister called for greater emphasis on scientific and resource-based crop planning, including diversification and adoption of suitable crop varieties. In this context, he encouraged farmers to consider short-duration and recommended paddy varieties such as PR 126, along with resource-efficient production practices. He also emphasized the need to make productive use of crop residues through appropriate CRM practices rather than burning, thereby contributing to resource conservation and sustainable agriculture.
Shri Chouhan highlighted the importance of strengthening the linkage between agricultural research, modern technologies and farmers’ field-level experience. He urged farmers to actively utilize the training, demonstrations and advisory services provided by KVKs and maintain regular interaction with agricultural scientists and extension agencies.
During the Kisan Samvad, the Minister listened to farmers’ concerns and called for focused research and technological interventions to address field-level challenges. He emphasized the need to develop suitable scientific solutions for the crystallization problem in mustard-produced honey and stressed research and technologies to enhance the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, with greater scope for processing and value addition to improve farmers’ returns.
The Minister also underlined the importance of Integrated Farming Systems and allied enterprises for enhancing farm income and strengthening the economic resilience of farming households. Later, he visited the technology part demonstrating and urged farmers to adopt latest agricultural technologies based on local opportunities, resource availability and market potential.
Interacting with mushroom growers, Shri Chouhan took note of their concerns regarding marketing and emphasized the need to strengthen market linkages and value chains for mushroom producers and other high-value agricultural enterprises.
Earlier, Dr Parvender Sheoran, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Ludhiana, briefed about the activities and initiatives undertaken by KVKs to strengthen their outreach, technology dissemination and farmer advisory services.
The programme provided a platform for direct interaction among farmers, agricultural scientists, extension agencies and government departments. The discussions underscored the importance of aligning crop choices with natural resources and agro-climatic conditions, promoting crop diversification and integrated farming, ensuring productive Crop Residue Management, strengthening value addition and market linkages, and facilitating the adoption of modern agricultural technologies for sustainable and remunerative farming.
(Source: ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Zone-1, PAU, Ludhiana)
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