AgriVikas 2018 inaugurated in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: A 2-day national level workshop, AgriVikas 2018, was inaugurated by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan here on Friday.

The session was also graced by Union MSME Minister Giriraj Singh and Agriculture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

In the introductory session, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat provided valuable suggestions on the development of the farming sector.

He shared how more than two lakh students are focused on agriculture and farm sector development in India.

Giriraj Singh shared how his ministry is promoting value addition of agricultural products.

He envisioned Kewda cluster promotion along the 480 KM coastline of Odisha. Dharmendra Pradhan provided the information about the initiatives of the government of India for improving agricultural income and economic development of the artisans.

On the occasion, five books were released, namely, Agri-Entrepreneurship for a New Odisha focussed on value-addition of commodities in Odisha, Agri-Innovators: Inspiration for a New Odisha, and Odia translations of booklets released by Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, MSME, and Food Processing.

Post the inaugural ceremony, Dharmendra Pradhan and Giriraj Singh visited the exhibition area where more than 100 stalls were displayed by agripreneurs from across the country showcasing a wide range of agricultural equipment, know-how on new technology innovations.

Pradhan interacted extensively with the participants as there were a large number of Farmer Producing Organisations and cooperatives from within and beyond Odisha.

Six Ministries of Government of India namely Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Food Processing, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises supported the event.

More than 1000 participants including farmers, horticulturists, agriculture scientists, agri entrepreneurs, and students from all districts of Odisha as well as various states participated in the programme.

P Chandrasekhar, Director General of National Institute of Agriculture and Management (NIAM), set the context emphasising that 60% of the population depends on farming in India.

He urged the audience to be aware of the problems and solutions in the agriculture sector.

AgriVikas 2018 will continue till June 30 with plenary sessions on various topics including animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries, agroforestry and tribal, horticulture, harvesting and storage, clusterization of farmers, processing and marketing, financing and credit linkage, organic farming, marine and export, skilling, agro-tourism, technology and innovation in agriculture, and biofuels.