Speech on Krishi Vigyan Kendras Interface-2010 on 26.4.2010 at New Delhi

Secretary DARE & DG ICAR, Dr S. Ayappan; Secretary (Agriculture & Cooperation) Shri P.K.Basu; Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Shri Rudhra Gangadharan; Additional Secretary (DARE) and Secretary, ICAR, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi; FA, DARE & ICAR, Shri Chaman Kumar; Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), Dr.K.D.Kokate; ADGs, Zonal Project Directors, Directors of Extension of SAUs, Programme Coordinators of KVKs, Members from Press Media, Ladies & Gentlemen.

I am really pleased to meet you all today who belong to a system which has grown tremendously in size , stature and importance i.e. from one KVK in 1974 to 571 KVKs in 2010.

Today, the capability of natural resource base is not as responsive as it was in yester years. Conventional technologies of agriculture are inadequate to meet the formidable challenges. The most compelling case for bio-technology and more specifically transgenic crops is their capability to increase crop productivity, lower production costs, conserving bio-diversity, efficient use of external inputs, and improvement of economic and social benefits and alleviation of abject poverty in poor and developing countries. The threat from trans-boundary animal diseases has also increased.

The research and development initiatives on promoting crop-live stock farming system based models and bio-diversity are essentially required. Krishi Vigyan Kendras provide a platform for alliance of ICAR-University - State Governments- NGOs for creating an atmosphere of technology application and excellence. KVKs are therefore, to be modelled as Centres of science and technology for rural sector at district level. Avoiding multiplicity in approach may serve the purpose of building KVKs as technology oriented centres. Models of public-private partnerships must be evolved for development of processes, application and flow of technologies, creation of marketing opportunities and empowering farmers.

Challenge to Indian agriculture due to delayed and deficient monsoon coupled with flash floods was very severe during Kharif 2009 across the country. ICAR, development departments and KVKs responded to the exigency, and designed in time technology-driven contingency plans which greatly contributed to protect the standing crops, as well as mitigating the drought effects to minimize the adverse impact on kharif production. Sound and scientific location-specific advisories were disseminated across the country to grow short-duration rice varieties, low-water consuming crops and feed and fodder crops. Simultaneously, movement of quality seeds was mobilized and coordinated across the country.

Reports about Rabi production are very encouraging to safeguard our interests of food security. Among rabi crops, wheat contributes nearly 72% to the total rabi foodgrains production of the country. However, the crop faces newer challenges in the wake of water scarcity, erratic rainfall and changing temperature regimes, in addition to prevalent diseases. Sudden rise in temperature during April 2010 cautions for upcoming challenges. Thus, serious efforts are needed for continuously building initiatives for preparing contingencies to mitigate adversaries in the form of developing technologies ,processes and models of delivery to end users with inherent feed back system.

I am extremely happy to note that some of the issues confronted by Indian Agriculture have been taken up by Indian Council of Agricultural Research through Krishi Vigyan Kendras. The initiatives like climate resilience (100 KVKs), resource conservation (50 KVKs), fodder development (50 KVKs), technology demonstrations for harnessing pulses productivity (137 KVKs), electronic connectivity (291 KVKs), minimal processing facility (24 KVKs), plant diagnostic facility(172 KVKs), integrated farming system (184 KVKs), Carp hatchery (58 KVKs), soil & water testing (409 KVKs) and rain water harvesting (151 KVKs) will definitely impact agricultural environment entailing far more responsive system to address location specific issues in context to national and global demands.
This is the era of information technology and management in which accessibility, linkages and convergence are of paramount importance. The role of Directors of Extension in this context , has already been enlarged by ICAR for overseeing all the KVKs in the University area jurisdiction irrespective of host institution. The fruits of this idea can only be realized if Directors of Extension take it as challenge.

I appeal all of you to join hands in taking this unique system to a new height. Programme Coordinators of KVKs in particular have to be quite open to the environment and at the same time very selective in terms of choosing options for the farmers. I hope two days interaction will bring in lot of focus to our approach and commitment to farm sector.

Thank you.