Kisan Mela gets overwhelming response
A Kisan Mela organised by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) along with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Majitha received an overwhelming response from farmers of the district on Tuesday.
The event was inaugurated by Dr SS Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, who visited the agriculture exhibition stalls and encouraged farmers to take a round of the demonstration plots. He urged farmers to subscribe to PAU’s farm publications to stay informed about the latest advances in farm operations.
He emphasized the importance of moving away from water intensive crops that worsen the water crisis and harm soil health in Punjab.
During the event, Harpreet Singh, IAS, Commissioner of Amritsar Municipal Corporation, encouraged farmers to adopt PAU-recommended crop varieties and technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability.
He dispelled the common belief that Punjab farmers are solely focused on wheat and paddy, noting that their strong presence at the mela reflects their adaptive and progressive mindset. He highlighted that while all farmers in Amritsar district cultivate vegetables, the potential for processing remains under-utilised, which is crucial for the future of profitable farming.
Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research at PAU, shared the latest advancements in research, including new crop varieties and production technologies aimed at improving agricultural practices. He introduced the nutritious ‘Punjab Chapati’ wheat variety and encouraged farmers to purchase its seeds, emphasising its health benefits.
He also highlighted PBW Biscuit 1 wheat, specifically developed to enhance biscuit quality, and mentioned PAU’s agreement with a renowned company for its commercial production.
Additionally, he introduced the ‘Biomass Incorporator’, a piece of farm machinery designed to improve soil health. He emphasized the importance of adopting water conservation technologies, the use of organic insecticides to control yellow rust and other pathogens, and the need to preserve paddy stubble in the field, which enriches the soil, reduces fertilizer requirements and increases crop yield.
Subject matter specialists from PAU provided an overview of the latest research.
